SUCCESSFUL work to help drug and alcohol users overcome addiction was discussed when MP Hugh Bayley visited York’s Lifeline Project.

Mr Bayley visited the Blossom Street charity yesterday, where he met Kim Michelle, a service manager, and Matthew Laycock, recovery assistant, as well as volunteers and service users, from Lifeline to learn about the work of the charity.

Lifeline, which is a national charity, supports 900 people in York.

It has a team of 50 staff made up of recovery workers, criminal justice workers, young people’s workers, nurses, doctors and volunteers.

The charity provides a number of services including recovery coordination, substitute opiate prescribing options, mutual aid, holistic group therapies and counselling as well as partnership working with the police, probation services and the courts.

Mr Bayley said: “The Lifeline Project provides a valuable service. People sometimes turn to drugs or alcohol when there is a setback in their lives. They may have lost their job, been diagnosed with an illness or faced a relationship breakdown.

"People use drugs and alcohol as a way of blotting out their pain but it does not resolve the problem and usually makes matters worse.

“The Lifeline Project provides individual treatment plans to help people recover from drug and alcohol dependence.

"The aim is to support people to achieve their recovery goals which typically include overcoming addiction, getting back into training, education or employment and finding somewhere to live. The staff and volunteers at the Lifeline Project do an essential job and many of their clients go on to live happy and successful lives.”