Cash Injection For Alcohol Projects In NI

Grants worth nearly £7m will be given out to help tackle alcohol abuse in Northern Ireland.

The Big Lottery Fund will split the money across the five Health and Social Care Trusts.

A 58-year-old Fermanagh man said Solace, one of the projects on the list, saved his life.

Going by the name of Steven, he said he turned to alcohol at the age of 16 and by his twenties was drinking four bottles of vodka a day.

He said: "My family disowned me and I ended up homeless. I floated around for a number of years and came to Fermanagh in my 40s. By that stage I was a wreck and I had no confidence and was dealing with paranoia. I was invited to Solace and it just changed my attitude to life.

"If it wasn't for this project I would probably be dead."

Projects awarded funding under the Fund's Impact of Alcohol programme include a service to improve the lives of older people who are chronic drinkers, an initiative to support women whose lives have been affected by alcohol related domestic violence and a scheme working with family members to tackle the addiction of their loved ones.

Frank Hewitt, Big Lottery Fund NI Chair, said: "By working with the Health and Social Care Trusts we are building on existing experience and expertise in this area and using this funding to tackle the range of issues that have resulted from alcohol misuse including health difficulties, post and pre-natal harm, violence, family issues and debt."

(NE)