AN ADDICTION charity is about to launch a new recovery programme thanks to a £50,000 cash boost.

Durham's Free the Way has secured a £49,824 grant from Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales to help support people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.

The grant will allow the charity to deliver a new 12-step abstinence and recovery programme, funding the salary of a recovery specialist to help support users looking to break free from the cycle of addiction.

Mark Steel of Free the Way said: “We are delighted to have been selected for this grant and to be working in partnership with Lloyds Bank Foundation.

"Having the ability to employ a 12-step recovery specialist will make a huge difference to our service users in their recovery from substance abuse.

"The 12 steps is a well-respected route to recovery and by running workshops that are 12 steps orientated, our service users are introduced to a level of support that will stretch beyond their time with us.

"We feel that the best tool against substance misuse is visible recovery.”

Paul Streets, chief executive, Lloyds Bank Foundation said: “As our latest research has shown, there is a quiet crisis facing local authorities.

"Ever-tighter budgets mean vulnerable people have to rely on the support of local charities like Free the Way.

"They’re not just a nice to have – their work is making a vital difference, day in, day out to people’s lives. We’re proud to partner with the Young Women’s Outreach Project as part of Lloyds Banking Group’s plan to Help Britain Prosper, supporting the costs of their work, strengthening them, and helping raise their voice among the policy-makers and decision-makers their future depends on.”

Free the Way is one of four charities in the North East and Cumbria supported in Lloyds Bank Foundation’s latest funding round, which awarded £263,813 across the region, tackling issues such as addiction, domestic violence and sexual abuse.