Change Grow Live’s latest annual report reflects a year of adapting to growing demand while remaining focused on supporting people who are seldom reached by mainstream services.
Change Grow Live supported more than 200,000 people across England and Scotland during 2024/25. The organisation’s annual report opens with a reminder that those on the margins are often the most affected in difficult times, and that health should be a right, not a privilege.
Early intervention and prevention
A key theme this year has been reaching people earlier. The organisation has expanded its focus on prevention, including new work to raise awareness among young people about the effects of ketamine and an expanded drive to help people stop smoking.
Three new stop smoking programmes were launched and existing ones strengthened. In Manchester, the Eclypse service for children and young people created online vaping-awareness training for professionals, while in Birmingham a new project is supporting people who are rough sleeping or in contact with the criminal justice system.
The In Your Corner project, which works with young men on probation, reported a 90 per cent engagement and retention rate, offering early support to address harmful behaviours and belief patterns.
Tackling stigma and exclusion
Reducing stigma and exclusion remains central to Change Grow Live’s approach. The Empowering Women Everywhere project in Peterborough works with women who sell sex and who often face multiple barriers to healthcare. Through trauma-informed outreach, safe clinics and supported housing, the project has seen cervical screening among participants rise from 19 to 95 per cent, alongside improved access to health care and crime reporting.
Employment is also recognised as a key part of recovery and inclusion. Change Grow Live is now the largest provider of Individual Placement and Support in the drug and alcohol sector, helping people into paid work that matches their goals. In the past year, 1,393 people found jobs through the programme, with 78 per cent remaining in employment after 13 weeks.
Improving access and delivery
The organisation has continued to make services easier to reach, expanding online and telephone support across 11 sites. This flexible approach has helped people who face barriers such as mobility issues, caring responsibilities or anxiety about attending in person.
In prisons, the Southwest Prisons team has developed a neurodiversity toolkit to support staff working with people whose needs are often unrecognised. The resource is part of wider efforts to improve continuity of care between custody and the community.
Looking ahead
The report acknowledges the contribution of staff, volunteers and peer mentors, and the insight provided by the people who use its services. Their experiences continue to inform how support is delivered.
Across the wider treatment field, the findings point to a shift towards prevention, inclusion and more flexible access. The focus on employment, smoking cessation and digital options demonstrate a commitment to holistic, person-centred support.
As the report concludes, the main challenge for the year ahead will be continuing to reach people who remain seldom seen by traditional services and to work across health, housing, employment and justice to make this possible.
Making health a right, not a privilege: Change Grow Live 2025 annual report
DDN magazine is a free publication self-funded through advertising.
We are proud to work in partnership with many of the leading charities and treatment providers in the sector.
Read the Change Grow Live 2025 Annual Report here