News
Open Road takes a walk on the wild side
Open Road, the leading drug and alcohol support charity, will launch its innovative ‘Access to Nature’ programme at Gravel Woods, Beaumont cum Moze next Thursday 15th September. Everyone is welcome to come along and learn more about Access to Nature and how they might benefit.
Open Road staff and volunteers will be on hand on all day to demonstrate a whole range of skills including fence building, survival, foraging and wild life support. They will also be able to answer any questions visitors may have about coping with addiction and what services Open Road offers to assist clients in their recovery.
Brain child of Open Road, project worker Rob Mann, Access to Nature is run in partnership with the Green Light Trust and is also supported by Natural England and the Big Lottery Fund. Rob says:
‘Buses will leave our Colchester and Clacton centres at 10.30am returning by 3.00pm. Everyone is welcome, in particular those struggling with addiction but also anyone interested in volunteering with Open Road. Access to Nature gives people the chance to get back into the working environment on a regular basis, and we work come rain or shine. They’ll develop new skills to take forward into everyday life and maybe into volunteering and work. It’s a great learning opportunity all round - we often stroll through woods without really noticing what’s there - we can all do our bit to help preserve these environments.’
Rob adds: ‘As well as introducing visitors to woodcraft and other skills, we’ll have a quiet space where visitors can talk in privacy if needed. We have a lot of experience in supporting, not only those suffering with addictions, but also their friends and families who may not know where to go for help.’
The Access to Nature programme will run for 24 weeks every Thursday, from 29th September to the end of March 2012. Phone Open Road on 0844 499 1323 for more details.
Notes to Editors:
Open Road is a registered charity and leading provider of drug and alcohol treatment services in the East of England. For over 20 years Open Road has delivered high quality services to empower individuals and families to recover from the harmful impact of drugs and alcohol. Every year Open Road helps thousands of individuals and their families, offering a range of one to one support, group therapy and harm reduction services. Open Road currently employs 90 staff and has a team of over 100 volunteers who actively support our work.
Open Road is funded through both the Essex and the Suffolk Drug and Alcohol Action Partnerships, Primary Care Trusts, the Big Lottery Fund, charitable trusts and individual donations. In 2010/11 Open Road is expected to receive over £2 million in income.
For further information about this event and Open Road please contact: Carol Macaskill, Marketing & Communications Manager on tel: 01206 369782 Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).