Our Work
Led by the needs of Meetings and individual Friends, QAAD offers balanced information, support and advice on all matters within our concern. We provide speakers to local and area Meetings who wish to explore any aspect of substance use, misuse or dependence, ranging from the personal or spiritual to wider social concerns. We also publish written briefings and advise Friends and Meetings when effective action can be taken. We make links with Quakers with similar concerns in areas like criminal justice and housing, and offer workshops or training on request.
When Friends are personally affected by substance issues (either themselves or in their close others) we give advice, and when appropriate facilitate supportive and confidential links between Friends with similar experiences. Elders and Overseers are also welcome to contact us to discuss situations ranging from the preventative to those involving dependence. We welcome the warm relationships we have with Quakers who are members of the Anonymous Fellowships as well as those who have found other paths.
Please contact Helena Chambers to discuss any aspect of this work, and to offer or receive support.
QAAD seeks to support young Friends in ways that are responsive to their needs, views and lives. On an individual level we can be contacted for advice, and we offer group sessions that enable young Friends to share their experiences and consider Quaker testimonies on substance use and gambling.
Workshops are available for any kind of event, including special interest groups at Quaker gatherings and Link Groups. Sessions are developed collaboratively with the young Friends involved and with those who work with them; some of the written material arising from them has recently been made available in the ‘Journeys in the Spirit’ series published by the Children and Young People’s Staff Team (link).
We collaborate with other groups involved with young Friends (e.g. the Leaveners) and recently supported an innovative alcohol education film made by Lianna Pim, who was then a student at Sibford School. DVDs are available free from QAAD, and the film can be viewed here.
To discuss any aspect of this work, please contact Helena Chambers.
QAAD contributes a Quaker perspective to government consultations and review processes regarding alcohol, drugs, and gambling, and we have been included in various advisory and consultative meetings as a stakeholder. We liaise with other faith-based groups who share our perspectives, and work collaboratively with them. We also link with other groups who share our concerns and are working for similar goals – for example, Alcohol Concern.
Our emphasis is on the prevention of dependency problems and the proper provision of help when problems occur. Click here to view our submissions on gambling, alcohol and drugs. To read more about our current concerns and priorities click here.
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