Support for Buckinghamshire addiction charity
Last month, Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, visited The Oasis Partnership to find out how over £3000 worth of funding from the PCC’s Community Fund is helping to support an innovative new pilot for a monthly support group for offenders in the criminal justice system and people in addiction treatment and recovery with ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
The Oasis Partnership provides services and recovery support to individuals across Buckinghamshire struggling with substance misuse. In addition, the charity delivers a number of intervention projects and health and wellbeing initiatives from their sites in Aylesbury, Chesham and High Wycombe including ArtBox sessions and a Routes to Work programme supporting people into employment, training and education.
The charity received £3285 in the October 2023 round of the Community Fund to fund their new support group.
Matthew said: “There is growing evidence linking ADHD to a higher risk of criminal behaviour and addiction. The Oasis Partnership’s plans for a monthly support group for offenders in the criminal justice system and people in addiction treatment and recovery with ADHD provides a real opportunity for those within the group to better understand the dispositions that make them more vulnerable to crime and/or addiction and put in place learning strategies to support them in the future.
“I look forward to keeping in touch with the team at Oasis to see the outcomes of the pilot.”
Colin McGregor-Paterson, CEO of The Oasis Partnership, said: “I really appreciate the forward thinking from Mathew and his team in supporting what is the UK’s first specific ADHD and addiction support group – covering all addictions including substance, gambling and food addictions.
“The beauty of the group is that there is no rule book – it’s a mutual aid peer support group with research attached aiming to develop interventions that could help. Importantly the group is anonymous and open to anyone affected by their own or a loved ones addiction issues.
During the visit, Matthew also met Tracey Braddock from One Recovery Bucks who shared details of their treatment services and psychosocial interventions for individuals experiencing difficulties with alcohol or drugs. This includes their nationally-recognised work with naloxone, in particular the training of individuals in community-based settings in Buckinghamshire where overdose could be a risk such as hostels or crisis centres.
