Loss of States funding for GAAS ‘devastating’
A GUERNSEY charity which has been helping people affected by alcohol dependency for 50 years, faces an uncertain future after being told its government funding will come to an end.
The Guernsey Alcohol Advisory Service, which has been receiving financial support from the States since 1975, was informed by email last week that it had been unsuccessful in tendering to provide ‘core services and structured psychosocial interventions and community rehabilitation – alcohol’.
The charity’s tender scored 44%, while the successful tenderer – which is not being identified at present – scored 85%.
‘I want to reassure our existing clients that this will make little difference in the short-term,’ GAAS chairman Dave Newman said.
‘Our existing service level agreement with the Health Improvement Commission expires on 31 December and we have sufficient funds to keep the counselling service going for some time after that.’
A separate funding arrangement brings the charity £40,000 a year from the Social Investment Fund, which allows it to employ a full-time manager for the Brockside dry house at the top of the Grange, next door to the counselling service.
However, this separate funding is only guaranteed up until 30 April 2023.
Mr Newman expects both parts of the charity’s work to be able to survive at least until then but, following last week’s news, he is not at all optimistic about the future beyond that.
‘It’s devastating for the service,’ he said.
‘Our committee needs to sit down [at its scheduled meeting on Tuesday] and work out a way forward.
‘One of the options is that the charity no longer continues. All our analysis shows that without that core funding, we’re unlikely to survive.'
Even if the funding for the dry house is renewed, Mr Newman said it could not operate independently of the counselling service which has now lost its main source of income.
‘You can’t run a dry house with one person,’ he said.
‘I’m on 24-hour call unless I’m off-island. We’re dealing with recidivist drinkers with mental health problems.’
Despite the bleak long-term outlook, Mr Newman said he had spoken to the current residents to reassure them, as most will have moved on before any closure becomes necessary.
A spokeswoman for the Health Improvement Commission said: ‘The core services and structured psychosocial intervention and community rehabilitation services for alcohol is not being cut.
‘It will remain funded to the same degree as present and available to the public, but provided by a different third sector partner in due course.
‘The tender process is ongoing, and it is therefore inappropriate to comment further.’
‘GAAS saved my life’ Page 3
Guernsey Alcohol Advisory Service and the work it does
Pages 16-17
