A smiling man sits at a desk in an office filled with papers and photographs, wearing a grey sweater and a blue lanyard.

Drug and alcohol support for adults

For anyone over 18 who lives in Wigan and Leigh, worried about alcohol or drug use.

Whether you need advice for yourself, or to support a loved one, we work with you, side by side, to make sure we provide you with the right support. All our services are free. We'll never judge, and we're here to listen.

  • 1:1 support
  • Support groups
  • Support for family and friends
  • Specialist prescribing
  • Needle exchange

Support that's right for you

When it comes to recovery, we know that everyone’s goals are different, whether that’s making small changes, stopping completely, or finding new ways to stay safe and healthy.

Money

Our services are free

Heart

We'll never judge

People

We're here to listen

Talk

Your privacy is important to us

How we can help

Whatever it is that you want to achieve, we’ll support you to get there - and we’ll be WithYou every step of the way.

We offer one-to-one drug and alcohol support, where you meet with a Recovery Worker regularly to work though things you're struggling with. 

This could range from a single session to a more structured, longer-term series of meetings, depending on your needs.

We'll be as flexible as possible with where and when these sessions take place, to fit around your commitments. 

We understand that substance use can impact all areas of your life so we take a holistic approach. We'll also look at any potential contributing factors such as housing, finances, relationships and employment. This wrap around approach helps you to better understand your drug use, allowing you to take greater control.

Groups and meetings are a great way to make positive steps in recovery. Change is easier if you have other people to support you.

Our weekly support groups are a place for people who are experiencing issues with drugs and alcohol to come together and help each other. They're sometimes known as Mutual Aid Partnership, or MAP, groups.

The groups are free and confidential. You can join for as little or as long as you want. Rather than focussing on how you’re feeling, our support groups are about helping each other find practical ways to deal with life’s challenges. 

These are are run by WithYou staff or by experienced volunteers who may have had issues with alcohol or drugs themselves in the past, and understand the challenges. 

 

In some cases, you might need medication to help you manage withdrawal symptoms or to prevent relapse. This clinical support is delivered alongside other structured one-to-one sessions, as part of your wider recovery plan. 

To access this treatment, your recovery worker will arrange an assessment with  specially trained clinicians, such as doctors and nurses, who can give you a prescription for the medication you need. 

The assessment will look at your substance use and wider health needs, so that we can offer you the right treatment. You will meet with the clinical team regularly to make sure the medication is working well and to make any adjustments. 

As a family member or friend of someone using drugs and alcohol, you may not know where to turn. 

Please be reassured, there’s support available to help you navigate this challenging situation.

We offer specific support for people who are affected by a loved one’s alcohol or drug use.

For anyone who injects drugs, we provide new, sterile injecting equipment to help keep you safe. 

You don't need an appointment. You can just walk in and get what you need.

Alongside providing you with new equipment, our staff will be able to talk you through the different equipment options available to you and give you a demonstration on safer injecting techniques.

They are also happy to answer any questions you may have and discuss ways to help you stay safe. 

Blood borne viruses (BBVs) are viruses that spread through blood, and in some cases, bodily fluids. 

If you attend one of our drug or alcohol services, you will be offered a free BBV test. You can also ask for a test when you register with a service.

Our services in Wigan & Leigh provide Naloxone. 

The Naloxone injection (Prenoxad) or nasal spray (Nyxoid) are life saving substances that can prevent overdose. They work by reversing the effects of opioid drugs such as heroin, morphine and methadone. 

We provide people who use substances with Naloxone and training on how to respond to an overdose situation. We also make Naloxone available to family members and friends. 

Specialist services

To better support women who feel unable to access mainstream alcohol recovery services, we run a women-only programme, which:

  • is located at Standish Equestrian centre

  • runs three days a week, between 10am to 2pm

The 12-week prehab programme is open to women who are abstinent from alcohol and require support to maintain their recovery. The programme is also open to women who are still drinking alcohol, and who wish to make positive changes to their alcohol consumption.

A trained group work facilitator runs the programme using evidence-based interventions, including solution focused brief therapy, cognitive behaviour approaches and motivational interviewing techniques. A trained therapist is also available to provide one-to-one support.

At the end of the programme, an aftercare plan will be developed in partnership with the client to support them in the next steps of their recovery journey.

To find out more about the women/female only prehab, please contact Jane Pilkington:

Please note Jane’s working days are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9am-5pm

Greenslate Community Farm was built by our local community, for our local community. It’s set within 30 acres of farm and woodlands on the side of Billinge Hill, and is a community resource, providing volunteering, training, education and therapeutic activities. 

It’s also home to our Community Rehabilitation programme, which we run in partnership with BAC O’Connor and Wigan Council.

The 12 week programme focuses on building self-esteem, motivation, relapse prevention, triggers, cravings and goal setting, and there’s also time to help tend to the farm and look after the animals.

We run a confidential programme to help people who’ve experienced challenges with drugs and alcohol to find work. This is called Individual Placement and Support Service (IPS).

Developing new skills and growing confidence is a great way to positively build a brighter future. Our clients tell us that finding and securing employment has greatly aided their recovery, providing routine e and increasing independence. 

If you want to learn more about how our IPS service could support you, please email beth.dean@wearewithyou.org.uk.

Learn more about WithYou's IPS service

Our Armed Forces Community programme provides specialist support for military veterans and their families in Cornwall who have challenges with drug or alcohol use and mental health, helping people to lead fulfilling lives not hindered by dependence.

We do this by acknowledging the specific experiences of people in the armed forces community, capitalising on the strengths of military identity and using this to enhance recovery.

Our staff are trained and guided to offer the best possible support for members of the armed forces community.

Contact us:

Tel: 01872 263001

Email: christopher.greenough@wearewithyou.org.uk

Find out more about WithYou’s drug and alcohol support for the Armed Forces Community

Who is our service for?

This service is for you if you’re:

  • 18 and over
  • living in Wigan and Leigh
  • worried about your own drug or alcohol use or someone else’s
A cheerful woman with gray hair, wearing a red sweater and colorful scarf, stands at an open door smiling, with a lanyard and id around her neck.

How to access our services

Use our drop in service

There’s no need to phone ahead or make an appointment - just turn up and our trained experts can complete an assessment there and then. 

If you live in Wigan:

Drop-in and see us at Coops Business Centre, Dorning Street, Wigan, WN1 1HR on: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays: 9.30am - 3pm, Fridays: 9.30am - 12:30pm.

If you live in Leigh:

Drop-in and see us at Kennedy House, Brunswick Street, Leigh, WN7 2PJ on: Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays: 9.30am - 3pm, Fridays: 9.30am - 12:30pm. 

Or book an appointment

You can also contact us directly using the number provided below.

Our appointments can be carried out at our office, online, or we may meet you in our local community.  

If you have a disability, are neurodiverse, or English is not your first language, please let us know when you get in touch. We make our services as accessible as we can, and we'll work out the best way to support you.

David And James, The Borders 1

What to expect from our services

You’ll find a warm welcome and free, non-judgmental support and advice from the WithYou team.

We want you to feel safe and comfortable when seeking support, and your privacy is really important to us. Everything you tell us, whether in person or online, is confidential. The only time this might change is if we have serious concerns about your own or someone else’s safety.