Cabinet Office Minister Gillian Merron saw first hand today how people in South London have managed to escape a life of drug and alcohol misuse and rebuild their lives.
On a visit to Turning Point in Brixton she met both adults and young people who had faced up to their problems and were actively addressing them.
Gillian Merron, who has responsibility for social exclusion, said:
"Alcohol and drug abuse can all too easily rob people of the chance to make something of themselves and their lives. A home and a job are the core foundations of normal, everyday life, and without them vulnerable adults and young people risk a lifetime of wasted potential."
"That’s why projects like Turning Point are so important – they reach out to people who have already taken the important step to change their lives for the better but who need help to do it."
Turning Point runs more than 250 services across England and Wales helping people with mental health problems and learning disabilities, as well as those who have misused alcohol or drugs.
On her visit to the Brixton project Gillian Merron saw two Alcohol, Counselling and Prevention Services (ACAPS) for adults and for young people and spoke to staff and service users about the challenges they face.
Turning Point’s ACAPS Adult Service manager, Tully Treslove, said:
"We are delighted that Gillian Merron chose to visit Turning Point ACAPS and highlight the benefits of this crucial service which really does help people turn their lives around."
"Turning Point offers a range of community-based services to those who have stabilised their drug use and feel ready to explore their goals around training, further education and employment – a positive intervention at a time when people need us most."
Cabinet Office