On Wednesday 30 August, the Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy Elena Whitham MSP visited a local recovery service after being invited by Stuart McMillan MSP.
The Minister spent the morning at Moving On Inverclyde (MOI) after Stuart wrote to her earlier this year following her appointment to the role.
The local SNP MSP has been involved with MOI for over eight years and recently took up the role of Vice-Chair.
Commenting after the visit, Stuart said:
“I was grateful to the Minister for taking the time to visit Inverclyde and spend time with staff and service users at Moving On.
“I’ve been involved with Moving On for many years now and have regularly highlighted their life-saving work in the Scottish Parliament, but it was important to me to invite the Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy to hear first-hand the positive impact the organisation has upon people’s lives.
“The Minister listened to the stories of those who’re in recovery and how Moving On has not only saved their lives but transformed it. Their confidence is clear to see after having engaged with the service and the Minister commented on how appreciative she was at their honesty and openness.
“We need to use the drug and alcohol deaths figures to reflect upon how local recovery services, both public and third sector, are working, but it’s also important to recognise that there is good work underway in Inverclyde.
“Lives are being saved, as is evident by those who come through Moving On, but we should not be complacent – we need to all redouble our efforts to ensure that everyone who misuses drugs and alcohol has that same chance to enter into recovery.”
The Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy added:
“It was a privilege to be welcomed by all at Moving On Inverclyde last week and to see recovery in action. I was met by the community and welcomed into their space and honoured to hear them share their journeys and I came away with a renewed sense of hope.
“They really are making recovery visible at MOI, helping people to discover skills and passions and to reconnect with family and community. It was clear that the path isn’t always straight forward, but the staff and their fellow peers are there to support them each and every step of the way.”
Bev Thow, Service Delivery Manager at MOI, said:
“Our Service Users and staff were pleased to have the opportunity to speak with the Minister during her visit to Moving On Inverclyde. It was important for us to show the positive and visible difference recovery makes, and our service users were, quite rightly, very proud to share their stories.
“We have supported individuals and their families in our local community for over 20 years and our approach has always been to empower people, providing the tools and encouragement to take responsibility for their own actions and their futures.
“The recent figures show there is much work still to be done to impact deaths from drugs and alcohol, but change is possible, and Moving On is a brilliant example of that.
“Our service is open to anyone over the age of 18, and we would encourage anyone looking to change their relationship with either drugs or alcohol, to get in touch. We are open seven days a week and if you are working, we can offer after hour appointments.”
