news - hope uk · 2017. 2. 16. · emmanuel school & hallmead school (havering), tresham college...
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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
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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
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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!
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Hope UK, 25(f) Copperfield Street, London SE1 0EN T: 020 7928 0848 E: [email protected] 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:[email protected]://www.hopeuk.org/