North East Social Investment Fund makes its second investment to support Substance Misuse Recovery Service.

A Sunderland-based Substance Misuse Recovery Service has received an investment of £100k to enable it to undertake a new national government contract. The charity Achieve with NERAF will use the funding to help deliver its programmes of recovery and support to offenders across the North East. Achieve with NERAF will be delivering services for Northumbria Community Rehabilitation Company (Northumbria CRC), as part of the government’s Through The Gate programme for resettlement services. The contract will see them working across Northumberland and Tyne and Wear, supporting offenders on release from prison as well as those with community sentences. The overall aim of the contract is to reduce reoffending, with NERAF providing services to prevent offenders relapsing into drug and alcohol abuse. 

The funding is the second investment to come from the North East Social Investment Fund, managed by Northstar Ventures. The fund has been established by the North East Social Investment Company (NESIC) with the aim of providing an innovative regional solution to developing the market for social investment and to reduce disadvantage, deprivation and social need in North East communities.

““Many offenders have complex, multiple problems and live chaotic lives. Without the right support when they leave prison, it’s very easy for them to slip back into offending behaviour in order to feed their substance or alcohol addictions. With this new contract, we will be working closely with offenders to offer information, advice, and practical and emotional support, to help them break the cycle of addiction and offending. The investment we have received has enabled us to build on our previous experience to deliver these services.””
— Graham Frend, Director of Achieve with NERAF.
““We are very pleased that our second investment from the North East Social Investment Fund is helping Achieve with NERAF to reduce instances of substance abuse across the region. The charity has a reputation for successfully working with people with substance and alcohol misuse, helping them to rebuild their lives. We look forward to supporting them in undertaking this new contract.”
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— Peter Gilson, Investment Manager at Northstar Ventures.