KEEP ON MOVING
The Forward Trust has had another challenging and successful year supporting people to make a new life for themselves , says Flora Laney-Hubbard
I n November 2022 , The Forward Trust completed our fifth Social Impact Report for work conducted in 2021-22 . The biggest and most comprehensive yet , it reflected our growing reach and expanding range of support .
More service delivery was possible than in the previous two years , but the impact of COVID-19 is still being acutely felt by many of our staff and clients and is affecting our services – especially in prisons . We ’ re now reaching many more people – in prison , in the community and in residential settings – helping them to move on from their past and build positive lifestyles and relationships .
We run more than 70 separate service delivery projects , with more than 20,000 clients per year supported by 700 staff and 150 volunteers . We ‘ remotely ’ supported 3,729 people through our Reach Out online chat service , which was developed during lockdown and is continuing to supply a lifeline for many in need of support .
The full report takes a closer look at each of our service areas , which expanded following our recent merger with Action on Addiction and a series of contract wins . These service areas include substance misuse and mental health services in prison and community , our new recovery division , employment services , community rehabilitation services , housing and family and young people .
As well as detailed breakdowns of each service area , you can read about a rich variety of special projects and initiatives including :
The Opportunity Escalator , supporting service users into training and employment Our range of abstinence-based recovery programmes , delivered in prisons , residential settings and the community , both online and face-to-face Forward Connect , our network of recovery communities facilitating mutual aid and peer support Our M-PACT programme for families affected by addiction Enterprise clubs , offering selfemployment support and startup funding The Worth programme for vulnerable women at risk of violence
Our Forward Connect community in East Kent currently has 261 members and is embedded within the delivery of the East Kent community substance misuse service which supports more than 3,000 people every year . Since then , the recovery community in East Kent has gradually grown and was incorporated as a Forward Connect community at the start of 2020 .
Forward Connect is our network of peer-led communities for people who are making progress in their recovery and who want to meet and stay in touch with others for mutual aid and support on an ongoing basis . Forward Connect is open to anyone regardless of the recovery pathway they ’ ve chosen ( be it SMART , 12-step or another ). It ’ s also open to people for whom addiction has not been a challenge but have made progress through other Forward service pathways , such as employment or housing .
As members of a Forward Connect community , participants :
Access peer-based support and motivational materials – faceto-face and online ( through the Kaizala messaging app and Fuse social learning platform ) Develop skills and employability – gaining valuable experience and qualifications such as peer mentoring and recovery coaching ‘ Give back ’ – volunteering with local organisations or with our Reach Out online chat service Co-design services – driving new provision , contributing to quality management meetings and helping drive strategy Speak up – sharing their experiences and recovery stories to motivate others to step forward for support and to promote the message that recovery is possible .
In the last two years , members in East Kent have been involved in more than 400 hours of meaningful activity including :
More than 300 mutual aid meetings 155 members have used Kaizala to send more than 75,000 messages of peer support Eight peer supporters and mentors have been trained , working towards professional qualifications Two have become full-time employees of Forward in East Kent More than 500 hours of volunteering activity
As we expand and diversify the ways we help people , we ’ re determined to remain focused on our founding concept – inspiring and supporting people ’ s potential to change . Emerging from the pressures of the pandemic , The Forward Trust is reviving and restating our vision and purpose . We know how important it is to keep our beliefs and mission in focus as we expand our work , respond to the growing need in society , and pursue our ambition to help more people to turn their lives around in the coming year .
We hope you enjoy reading the report and , if you don ’ t already work with us , are inspired to get in touch to either find out more or explore how we can collaborate in the future .
To get in touch , please email communications @ forwardtrust . org . uk .
Flora Laney-Hubbard is communications officer at The Forward Trust
Mikila is a Forward Connect East Kent member , former trainee practitioner and now full-time recovery support worker : ‘ Being a part of Forward Connect was a complete life changer for me ... Unlike any other group I ’ ve experienced it celebrates all ways to sustain recovery , no “ musts ”, “ should ” or “ do it this way ” to succeed , which enabled me to bolster my recovery . I gained the self-belief to fulfil my present and future plans that I had not even dared to dream before .’
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