WithYou in Scotland has been named as a finalist for the SCVO’s Scottish Charity of the Year for its dedicated work supporting people facing challenges with drugs and alcohol.
Last year, staff in 13 community-based services across the country helped 14,000 people. Referrals rose 21 per cent year-on-year, and teams held more than 63,000 appointments, up 17 per cent. WithYou’s online webchat, available 364 days a year, connected with a record 1,987 people seeking support, up 28% year-on-year.
The human impact of that work was summed up by one father in Dundee, whose words were later cited in the opening address at the National Drugs Mission Conference in Edinburgh in March as an example of what Scotland’s drug and alcohol sector delivers.
He said: ‘Without WithYou and others, I wouldn’t be sitting here. I would be dead. Every single person in here saved my life. My kids wouldn’t have a dad if it wasn’t for the support I received.’
Louise Stewart, Scotland Director at WithYou, said the award nomination recognised work that changed lives across Scotland.
‘Over the last two decades, my colleagues have helped tens of thousands of people take steps towards a healthier life,’ Louise explained. ‘I’m incredibly proud of them and so pleased their vital work has been recognised in this way.
‘People facing challenges with drugs and alcohol must be able to access the right support, free from stigma and discrimination, when and where they need it, driven by their goals.’
Ronnie Hart, an advanced practitioner at WithYou’s North East Glasgow Recovery Hub, is one of many WithYou staff who brings his own experience of recovery to his work.
He said: ‘At WithYou, I feel valued. They support me, my recovery, my physical health, and my mental health. There hasn’t been a day since I started where I’ve not wanted to go to my work.’
Almost everyone in Scotland has been touched by drug and alcohol harm. Figures published in September offered a moment of cautious optimism, with drug deaths in 2024 at their lowest level since 2017 and alcohol deaths at a five-year low.
During that period, the charity launched WithYou Anywhere in Highland — the UK’s first fully virtual drug and alcohol service — bringing recovery support to people in Scotland’s most remote communities.Â
They also helped shape policy, playing a key role in developing Scotland’s Charter of Rights for People Affected by Substance Use and the Standards for Young People Accessing Treatment or Support for Alcohol or Drugs. And as synthetic opioids entered Scotland’s drug supply, they expanded drug-checking and naloxone provision to keep people safe.
Winners will be announced on 11 June 2026 in a celebratory awards ceremony hosted by broadcaster Sally Magnusson at the Radisson Blu in Glasgow.
Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive, SCVO said: ‘Across Scotland and beyond, voluntary organisations are making an extraordinary difference, and the breadth and depth of their impact never fails to inspire. Our 2026 finalists epitomise this.’
Find out more scvo.scot/scottish-charity-awards
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