NEWS Summer 2016

NEW PUSH FOR DECRIMINALISATION OF DRUG POSSESSION

Every now and again we like to encourage our

supporters and members - here are a few of the

outstanding comments our Educators have

received recently:

From medical staff at Great Ormond Street

Hospital Cardiorespiratory Adolescent Service:

“We would especially love to have a speaker from Hope UK to deliver a drugs and alcohol talk – we had a [Hope UK Educator] last year and I can’t emphasise enough how fantastic she was. She really engaged the young people and gave a thoroughly informative and professional talk tailored to cardiac conditions. The feedback we had from young people and families afterwards was fantastic. If [the Educator] is available again this year we would be delighted to welcome her back.”

From a Personal Development Coach (PDC) at

Tresham College of Further and Higher

Education, Corby:

“The learners are still talking about the session on drugs, so thank you for that, it is not often that they are so attentive and engaged! I have heard nothing but positive feedback from the other PDCs that you have visited at Tresham!”

From a teacher at the Cardinal Wiseman

Catholic School:

“It was very informative, no preaching. We will be inviting Hope UK to deliver a similar session next year, as I strongly believe that our students need this kind of information before they go onto university. “

The case for decriminalisation has been

strengthened by a report from two prestigious

public health bodies—the Royal Society for Public

Health and the Faculty of Public Health, both

representing doctors and other respected health

professionals. The report, ‘Taking a New Line on

Drugs’, argues that there is an “artificial and

unhelpful division” between legal drugs like

alcohol and tobacco and currently illegal drugs.

It also acknowledges that alcohol and tobacco

are associated with far more harm than illegal

drugs. (Could that have something to do with

the fact that they are legal?)

The report recommends “Decriminalising

personal use and possession of all illegal drugs,

and diverting those whose use is problematic

into appropriate support and treatment services

instead, recognising that criminalising users most

often only opens up the risk of further harm to

health and wellbeing. Dealers, suppliers and

importers of illegal substances would still be

actively pursued and prosecuted, while evidence

relating to any potential benefits or harm from

legal, regulated supply should be kept under

review”.

The report emphasises the importance of

evidence-based drug education and recommends

making it a compulsory part of PHSE lessons at

school which is certainly something that Hope UK

would support.

As an organisation, Hope UK can see the validity

of arguments on both sides of the

decriminalisation debate, but point to the fact

that legal drugs cause far more harm as a

possible indication that decriminalisation will

make the use of other drugs more prevalent and

therefore more harmful.

We are also concerned about the message

decriminalisation will send to young people.

What people are saying about Hope UK’s Drug Education

GENERATION HOPE –DIARY DATES

Canning Town Evangelical Church, 25th June

Keswick Convention, 30th July to 5th August (for ages 16+)

Weekend away in Chellington, 28th – 30th Oct (for ages 15+)

Please contact Hannah Luke or Jamie Madden if you are interested in any of these events or need more information.

Generation Hope at the Big Church Day Out

Generation Hope (GH) is Hope UK’s youth branch. Members are supported, and support each other, in

living authentic Christian lifestyles that include an emphasis on drug and alcohol-free lifestyles in keeping

with the aims and ethos of Hope UK. GH young people are trained to do peer drug

education, and help recruit other GH members.

Nine young people camped at the Big Church Day Out in West Sussex for the weekend of

the 28th/29th May. They spoke to hundreds of festival attendees about Generation Hope

and got many of them involved in trying out the drug and alcohol games!

The intrepid campers on the Sunday Drawing in young people of all ages

What else have they been up to?

Theoni (and her mum Val) ran a fundraising event and talked about Generation Hope at an after-school club. They raised £37.14 for Hope UK!

Generation Hope in Northampton had its first taste of peer drug education in their home town. This is Renee and Joshua demonstrating how to ‘walk the line’!!

Joseph, Emmanuel, Renee, Whitney, Brittney, and Ben at Bankside

Outdoor drug education in Hitchin,

Herts

Two Generation Hope members, Izzie and Ben have developed a new game to use with ‘beer goggles’ which will be added to our list of games.

GH member doing drug education

We are counting down the days to Hope UK’s Special Weekend

7/9 October when we want to encourage all our volunteers,

members, supporters and, of course, staff to ‘get connected’ and be

involved in promoting Hope UK’s work in some way during the

weekend. Everyone’s endeavours will help us to continue our work

of enabling children and young people throughout the United

Kingdom to make wise and informed life-style choices.

Lots of things, actually!

As far as we know (get in touch if you know differently!):

Hope UK is the only national Christian drug education charity for

children and young people that works with groups of any faith or

none at all.

Hope UK is the only drug education charity that trains voluntary

Drug Educators to deliver interactive drug education with an

accredited course.

Hope UK is the only national drug education charity that takes

its work onto the streets where the people are. (We would do a

lot more of this in a lot more places if we had more volunteers.

Hope UK is the only drug education charity with a youth branch

(Generation Hope) where young people are not only supported

in choosing drug and alcohol-free lifestyles, but also taught to

encourage other young people to do the same.

Hope UK’s 8-session Drugs, Sex and You course for youth

groups is unique and provides life skills training and confidence

building as well as drug and sexual health knowledge.

WHAT MAKES HOPE UK’S DRUG EDUCATION UNIQUE?

But why wait till October?

Andy Lawley, Hope UK’s Chairman of Trustees, did a 20-mile cross

country run in the rolling Wolds of East Yorkshire. It was seriously

hilly in parts, a real challenge. But he had completed it the previous

year in 5 hours and had every intention of doing it quicker this time.

He completed the run in 4 hours and 12 minutes and raised over

£700.

Well done, Andy!

Trustee and voluntary Drug Educator, Sharon Murphy,

organised a car wash by the young people in her church,

Whitfield Parish, in aid of Hope UK and another charity. A

great morning - lots of fun, an almost water fight and bacon

butties. They raised £92 for Hope UK!

Hope UK, 25(f) Copperfield Street, London SE1 0EN T: 020 7928 0848 E: enquiries@hopeuk.org www.hopeuk.org

Charity Commission 1044475, Registered in Scotland SC040550, Ltd Co registered in England & Wales 3022470

MEET AN EDUCATOR—Ellen Rufus, Northamptonshire

When Ellen heard about Hope UK’s work from a friend, she

decided that the training offered would be invaluable in the work

she does as a church youth worker in Northampton. Having first

-hand experience of how alcohol-related problems can affect

lives, she wanted to be able to help children and young people

avoid the pitfalls so often associated with the misuse of alcohol

and drugs.

Ellen supports the work of her church and community as a

governor, mentor and chaplain and has regular contact with

various groups in Northampton.

As well as being wife and mother, Ellen is also studying for

youth mission and ministry.

SINCE THE LAST NEWSLETTER...

Hope UK’s Annual Conference for voluntary Drug Educators

and Generation Hope members was held from April 1st—3rd at

All Nations Christian College. As always, it was a great

opportunity for Educators to learn from each other and the

guest speakers who came to update knowledge and share

ideas.

Generation Hope members had their own full programme,

including a session on ‘putting on the whole armour of God’,

graphically illustrated by a GH member. There was time for

fun and games as well and the young people came away

feeling inspired and enthused for the year ahead.

Here is a sample of activities carried out by our Educators in the last three months: Drug education in schools and colleges, including Cedar Road Academy & Duston Eldean

Primary School & Eastfield Academy (Northampton), South Thames College (London),

Emmanuel School & Hallmead School (Havering), Tresham College (Kettering and Corby),

Hitchin Girls’ School & Duncombe School & the Priory School & Watford Grammar School

(Herts), Millbank Primary School (Morayshire), Morriston Primary School (Swansea), Nazarene

Theological College (Manchester), Immanuel & St Andrew’s Primary School (Lambeth), Ripley

Court School (Surrey), Sir Christopher Hatton Academy (Wellingborough), Ley Hill School

(Aylesbury)

Detached (informal) drug education at Bankside (London), XLP bus (Isle of Dogs), Hitchin

Health Fair & ‘Party in the Square’ & New Watford Market (Herts), East Reading Festival

(Berks), Waterside Roadshow (London), Rotary Health Fair (Lancashire), the Buckie bus

(Morayshire) and Weston Favell Shopping Centre (Northampton).

Numerous sessions in churches, and training for Street Pastors and Street Angels

New volunteers were recruited at events like the Christian Resources Exhibition and Ruach

Ministries, as well as new opportunities to work alongside local churches.

mailto:enquiries@hopeuk.orghttp://www.hopeuk.org/