Evolve - Tackling the Impact of Substance Misuse

Please support us to carry on delivering our much-needed services, As Evolve enters its 10th year and because of the legacy of the Covid Pandemic, we are struggling to receive funding from our regular donors. We have always prided ourselves on delivering our services free of charge... No one has ever had to pay for counselling or education... Please help us to help change lives. We have offered counselling to support mental health since the inception of the charity 10 years ago and have a robust referral system, this both needs and risk assesses each individual as we receive them. Evolves founder Alison Hodgson, herself a BACP registered counsellor & Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, is highly passionate about offering a high standard counselling service. The project will deliver Counselling/age-appropriate preventative information/education and awareness sessions from Evolve to young people living mainly in economically disadvantaged areas. We provide detailed, age-appropriate information in respect of substance/drug misuse. Highlighting the dangers and providing real-life local examples the young people can relate to and encouraging the participation of young people in all areas of our service provision. We regularly work with Merseyside Police and have provided training for police officers. We also work closely with local education providers in schools and colleges who feedback on the information sessions and our questionnaires indicating massive benefits of the project for young people, particularly in respect of informing young people of the dangers, with real-life examples, of people adversely affected by substance misuse. We also have, increasingly, been working with schools who have identified pupils who have been misusing substances and drugs to avoid their exclusion and we provide counselling and support with mental health issues on the dangers and issues surrounding County Lines issues. When struggling with mental health young people can turn to negative ways to cope, such as alcohol and drugs. This can then lead to them becoming vulnerable with their peer group, leading to the risk of them joining gangs and, being exploited. This can then cause further distress in families as well as anti-social behaviour, which longer-term, will have a negative impact on their future.