Drug and alcohol treatment charities keep contract to support thousands of people in North Lincolnshire, with £15m+ investment over next seven years

WithYou and the Scunthorpe Recovery Service (provided by Double Impact) have been awarded a contract by North Lincolnshire Council to continue providing drug and alcohol treatment services, with more than £15m to be invested into saving lives across the region. 

The contract was awarded by the council after a competitive tender process. Working with partner DELTA, which delivers community-based substance misuse services for children and young people in the area, WithYou and Double Impact have supported thousands of people in North Lincolnshire over the last seven years.

WithYou in North Lincolnshire has delivered and maintained for over two years the micro-elimination of hepatitis C. The two charities focus on prevention, reducing harm, and recovery-oriented care to improve lives, supporting thousands of people who are experiencing challenges with drugs, alcohol and mental health. 

Tom Kirk, who struggled with ketamine from the age of 19, is one of those people:

“In March 2024, I went into hospital with kidney blockage. My bladder was 20% of a normal male. My kidneys and liver were 20/30%. I weighed 7.5 stone - very underweight for my height.

“I reached out to WithYou and spoke about going into rehab with my amazing key worker. Then I went into the hospital and I found out I had a place in rehab and funding for it. WithYou supported me with rehab and told me about this place called Double Impact that had just opened - saying it was sort of like a day rehab. I knew I needed it. So I joined and I came to every group for about four or five months. 

“Now I’m working four days a week as a Recovery Connector for Double Impact. I run a ketamine group every Saturday.

“I hope people know it's possible to recover. I was stuck in my own head, stuck in the world of drugs. I thought, there's no way out of this. I had pretty much accepted it would kill me.

"All it takes is one phone call, and a referral, and it can save your life."

Kate House, Head of Service Delivery at WithYou in North Lincolnshire, said:

“We are incredibly proud of the difference that our teams make to the lives of local people, and we’re delighted that we can continue and strengthen this into the future.

“We know that we need to continue to transform our services so that we can keep meeting the needs of local people. Our new service model, together with our partners, will make it easier for people to find the right support for them, in the right place and at the right time.”

Graham Miller, Chief Executive of Double Impact Services, said:

“Our continuing partnership, and in the years ahead in North Lincolnshire, working alongside WithYou will ensure that people accessing support are offered an expanded range of ways in which to recover. Tackling adverse effects caused through drug and alcohol use head-on, aims to improve the lives of people utilising the service. 

“Double Impact will play to its strengths, expert knowledge and experience to bring about positive change to lives of people, their families, friends and loved ones. Reconnecting people with hope, ambition and their health, at the same time as supporting returns to training, education and employment. Ultimately the service will support people to move on in their lives, and make those vital positive contributions back to society and the communities where they live.”