Around 4,100 adults are supported each year by drug and alcohol charity WithYou in Cornwall, the charity reveals, reflecting both the scale of need and the importance of accessible, person-centred services.
Of those accessing support, 37 per cent are struggling with opiates, 33 per cent with alcohol, and 30 per cent with a range of other substances. The figures highlight the complexity of need across the county, with many people requiring tailored and flexible support.
At the heart of the service is a simple principle – that help should be easy to access.
‘There’s no referral criteria,’ says Will Whittaker, team leader for outreach. ‘If someone comes in or rings up and says ‘I want help’, we’ll help them. I’m really proud to work at a place that does that.’
That open access approach underpins a wide range of support, including one-to-one sessions with key workers, peer support groups, medication, needle exchange services, and the distribution of naloxone. The service also provides support for families and friends, recognising the wider impact of substance use.
Alongside clinical and harm reduction interventions, WithYou supports people with the practical aspects of rebuilding their lives – from accessing housing and managing debt to developing life skills such as cooking and budgeting. The service also offers pathways into employment and runs a residential rehabilitation programme.
‘We work in a person-centred way, we’re not looking at a one-size-fits-all,’ explains key worker Amy Chiswell.
That flexibility extends to more specialist provision for groups with particular needs. The Armed Forces Community programme supports around 600 veterans and their families, recognising the specific experiences of military life and using those strengths to support recovery.
The Women’s Team works with more than 100 of the most disadvantaged women in the area, providing holistic support that goes beyond substance use to address wider challenges, often in partnership with other services.
For staff, the impact of the work is clear.
‘I get something out of it as well, that’s the beautiful thing about it,’ says community engagement co-ordinator Billy Horton. ‘We build people’s confidence, their self-esteem, their self-worth. Seeing that happen, you feel it too.’
Amy agrees that the human element is central to the service. ‘If you’ve got empathy then you’re already showing someone something that they might never have encountered before,’ she says.
WithYou has recently launched a film featuring the voices of clients and staff, aiming to raise awareness of the service and the work taking place across Cornwall. The film captures the commitment of the team, as well as the experiences of people accessing support.
‘Everyone is here because they want to be, because they care and have a real passion for the work,’ says Amy. ‘You can feel that when you walk into the office.’
For community engagement co-ordinator Connor Harmsworth, that sense of purpose is what sets the service apart.
‘You’ll never work anywhere else like WithYou,’ he says.
As demand continues to grow, services like WithYou remain a vital part of the local response – offering accessible, flexible support to people at different stages of their journey, and helping to ensure that when someone asks for help, there is someone there to listen.
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We are proud to work in partnership with many of the leading charities and treatment providers in the sector.
This content was created on behalf of WithYou