PROPS North East

Charity Details

History and Activities

PROPS (Positive Response to Overcoming Problems of Substance Misuse) is a charity which offers support to those impacted by alcohol and substance misuse. The charity owes much of its success to Valerie Clarke who worked tirelessly to empower the community in Scotswood, in the West End of Newcastle, before founding PROPS. Val, as she was known, has sadly passed away but PROPS has remained committed to both her vision and tenacious pursuit for social justice. She had seen first-hand the devastating effect of alcohol and substance misuse, particularly from the use of heroin. When the Scotswood Family Drug Support Group first started in 1997 it was then helping ten families. This grew as the services expanded and by 2001 the group had achieved the major milestone of attaining charity status. The charity has continued to go from strength to strength and in 2017 celebrated its 20^thanniversary by moving into larger premises. PROPS now employ 15 staff, have 8 volunteers Props North East, which combines the Newcastle and Tyneside teams were then moved to The Linskill Centre in January 2018. 

PROPS estimates that every year over 3,000 families across England, Scotland and Wales, affected by alcohol and substance misuse, access and benefit from one service or another. This includes over 650 families from the North East. The charity offers a variety of resources and supportive services from respite for families, support groups for peers, families and young carers, and training programmes for community volunteers. The charity also offers one-on-one support which empowers individuals through education to make positive changes in their own lives and for their communities.

The charity’s support groups bring people together from all stages of recovery who are facing similar challenges. This is done in a nurturing, safe and comfortable atmosphere where participants are able to help each other through daily and long-term challenges faced by individuals and families experiencing substance misuse. As part of a respite service, PROPS maintains a caravan just twenty miles north of Newcastle that can accommodate up to 8 people in the idyllic Northumberland countryside. This valuable retreat offers distance and space from intense environments and the opportunity to reconnect with family members.

In 2017, PROPS received £383,980 from grants and contracts, relying considerably less on donations and legacies. In 2017, the largest amount received was £117,308 from Safe Newcastle, the city’s community safety partnership. It also received grant funding from some large national charities such as Children in Need and the Henry Smith Foundation. In total, 2017 saw PROPS receive £450,408.

Vital Statistics (year to 31/04/2017)

Website

http://www.newcastleprops.org.uk/

References