Plans for a “world-leading” recovery village aimed at breaking the cycle of addiction have been unveiled for Dundee.
The £1.9 million project, announced by homeless charity Social Bite today, will focus on supporting people who can’t afford to pay for private residential rehabilitation services.
It follows a similar project set up by the charity in Edinburgh, which aims to help homeless people in the city move into permanent accommodation.
The Dundee initiative is being backed by a £1.5million pledge from The WM Sword Charitable Trust – set up by local businessman William “Bill” Sword, who died in 2014.
The location of the village is yet to be confirmed but a full planning application is expected to be submitted to Dundee City Council by the end of the year.
Working in partnership with addiction specialist charity We Are With You – formerly known as Addaction – Social Bite plans to develop a tailored support model for the Dundee project.
The village will include 15 eco-friendly prefabricated ‘nest houses’ with a bedroom, kitchen, lounge area and storage.
A community hub will also be built in the village, complete with communal dining space, gym facilities and counselling rooms.
Residents will engage in “therapeutic” support being delivered in three-month blocks at the village, with the ultimate length of stay being customised based on each individual’s needs.
They will also will be supported through the process of finding permanent accommodation as part of their recovery, should it be required.
As well as the funding from The WM Sword Charitable Trust, the project is being backed by The Insights Foundation, who have given a £100,000 donation.
A £50,000 contribution has also been pledged by the Tay Charitable Trust.
Lynne Henderson, daughter of Bill Sword and trustee of the charitable trust, said: “The Trust has been looking for some time for a major project to support on top of the work we do on a smaller scale with dozens of charities in Tayside.
“The Recovery Village is a fantastic idea and the ambition and vision is something that we know the city will get behind and become proud of as it gets up and running.
“My father was incredibly proud of Dundee and he would have been delighted to know that the fruits of his many businesses were now going to help Dundonians at their time of greatest need.”
Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of Social Bite added: “We all know the problem with drug deaths in Scotland and Dundee over the years. The human toll is profound.
“Behind each statistic lies individual and familial suffering with communities losing loved ones.
“Deprivation exacerbates the crisis, with those in the poorest areas 16 times more likely to die from drug misuse.
“The Recovery Village will help people on their journey towards recovery by providing a safe and rehabilitative living environment and expert support.
“Everyone we have spoken to in Dundee about the project has been hugely supportive and we are delighted to see that the city is taking the international lead on what could become a pioneering model for tackling addiction amongst vulnerable people.”
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