Issued: 6 May 2009
Happy Healthy Communities Celebrate Success
The communities of Brechin and Kirriemuir have benefited from recent Focus on Alcohol Angus projects to combat alcohol misuse, the project partners heard at an event at Stracathro Hospital on Wednesday, 6 May.
Focus on Alcohol Angus, which draws partners from Tayside Police, Angus Council, NHS Tayside and Tayside Fire and Rescue Service, initiated Happy Healthy Communities projects in both towns which have contributed to a cultural change in relation to how communities think about alcohol and its impact.
Robert Peat, Chair of the Angus Alcohol and Drug Partnership said: "Today highlights what the local community members and partners such as Tayside Police and Tayside Fire & Rescue have achieved in their own local areas to tackle alcohol problems.
"Today's event is the culmination of a year long project. Through a large survey, the Brechin group has made significant steps towards establishing a campaign to raise alcohol issues that may exist with parents, carers and older people.
"The Kirriemuir group has focused on the needs of young people and established the successful 'Kirriemuir Friday Nite Project' to offer young people fun, leisure and social opportunities at a time in the week they need it. They have also developed an attractive leaflet and website for young people to find out what else they can get involved in within the project."
Richard McIntosh, NHS Tayside HHCP Project Manager, commented: "The main unique point was the merging of community development, service improvement and social marketing. This has been untried elsewhere and offers an opportunity to test a different approach in Scotland."
Provost of Angus Ruth Leslie Melville presented certificates to the project volunteers at the event.