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"I was 15 when I was referred to the Matthew Project by the safeguarding lead at my school. I needed help to stop smoking cannabis. I'd been smoking for a couple of years and couldn’t do it on my own.   I live with my Mum. She and Dad split up. They were always arguing when they were together. I didn't like it. The memories of shouting and the fact that it didn’t leave much time for me was one of the reasons I started smoking. I felt like cutting and I did sometimes. I was getting bad marks at school, I didn’t want to go, I felt that school was the last place I wanted to be. Cannabis use was affecting my mental health, and I felt anxious and struggled to sleep.  I first smoked cannabis after school. Most of my friends had tried it. Then I would hang out with older mates, and sometimes we smoked at my home. It was hard to say no when they asked. My mum felt helpless to do anything. There was concern about county lines involvement. Then I became at risk of being excluded from school for inappropriate behaviour and no attendance. That's when I asked for help.  The first session with The Matthew Project was about them getting to know me and introducing me to the service. Building a trusting relationship is an important part of their initial work as young people can often feel uncomfortable sharing details about themselves with a professional, they just met.   They asked lots of questions to build a better picture of my life which helped them to create a support plan with me. We wrote down the goals that I wanted to achieve and what would help to get me there. My priorities were to cut down on substance use, improve my mental health, get support with my education, and improve my friend and family relationships. The process wasn’t too formal which put me at ease.   Me and my worker focused on improving my eating habits and sleeping pattern. I started exercising daily for 20 mins, came off my phone before bed and kept my room tidy. I started to feel less tired in the mornings...  Then my worker helped me get back into football which was great because I stopped wanting to smoke so much and I got my appetite back!   After checking with me, my worker also had a chat with my mum as I was worried about telling the older mates that they couldn't come to my house to smoke. It helped her understand how to help me and we have a much better relationship now.  Me and my mum found Unity service really helpful. I think not only did it help with my cannabis use but also with my anxiety and low mood... and it's kept me at school, so I stand a better chance of getting my GCSE's!  I have cut down on my usage massively, although I still smoke sometimes. Unity have kept my case open so I can continue with the support when I need it, which is really reassuring to know. Big thanks to everyone from The Matthew Project that helped me." Do you feel like your worried that your own drug/alcohol use is having a significant impact on you or others around you? If so, click on the button below to see how we can help.

"Ever since I was young my dad always suffered with a drinking issue. It’s not until I got older that I realised it was also affecting my life. His drinking became worse when I joined sixth form, which is when it began affecting my day to day life. I was turning up to school exhausted, not just physically but emotionally. This was having an effect on my school work and learning. I knew it was no longer something I could handle on my own and I had to talk to somebody, but I didn’t know who to reach out to. I spoke to my school and shortly they got me in contact with The Matthew Project. I felt very nervous to talk to somebody at the Matthew Project as I was always very apprehensive to tell people about my home life due to fear of judgement. However, as soon as I met Sharon I felt instantly put at ease and she felt like a friend that I could talk to about anything. Sharon helped me to cope with the issues not only going on at home but also the stresses of sixth form. Even when I didn’t want to talk about what was going on at home, she would always listen to anything I had to say and would always give me positive advice. Throughout my 2 years with Sharon I have managed to cope with my dad’s drinking so much better and he is now receiving help and has quit drinking. I finished sixth form and now I’m at university and I don’t think I would’ve reached this point if I hadn’t received help. I am so grateful for the Matthew Project but specifically for Sharon who always helped me over every hurdle I came across" Do you feel like your worried about a family members drug/alcohol use? If so click the button below to find out more on how we can help support you.

Welcome to On Track! A free service that supports 13-24-year-olds to move closer to or get into education, training, employment, or volunteering. Our Different Projects South Norfolk & Broadland Coaching A project for young people aged 16-24 living in South Norfolk or Broadland. We offer 1-2-1 outreach coaching and follow on employability based activities and groups. The project aims to bridge the gap between disadvantaged young people and employment and training opportunities. This project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Referrals are now closed. Central Gt Yarmouth Engagement Coaching Providing support to 14-19 year olds living in Nelson Ward, Great Yarmouth, who are either NEET (not in education, employment or training), or at higher risk of becoming so. Offering 1-2-1 coaching in school/college or outreach complimented by follow-on confidence and aspiration building activities, groups and community engagement. King's Lynn & West Norfolk Coaching A project for young people aged 16-24 living in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. We offer 1-2-1 outreach coaching and follow on employability based activities and groups. The project aims to bridge the gap between disadvantaged young people and employment and training opportunities. This project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Safe SPACE A project to support young people aged 13-18 who are not in education, training or employment (or at risk of) to access regular positive activities and community engagement. The activities will be in a small group of no more than ten young people and will be Norwich City based. The aim of the project is to raise young people’s motivation and support them by building resilience to have hope for the future. Get support To access support, click the button below to fill out our referral form. A social worker, teacher, or youth worker can complete it for you, or contact us for help. Click Here Contact us Still unsure? Would you like to talk to someone before deciding if you want to receive support? You can chat with us via email or over the phone - 01603 723845 Email us

Information to help professionals regarding young people around drugs and alcohol. Professionals Info A little about us We are a Norfolk charity that provides a free confidential service to young people up to 19. These young people can either be using substances (drugs, alcohol etc.) themselves or have a parent, carer, or sibling who is using substances that could be affecting them. We can also offer brief interventions to young people who may not require ongoing support. This can be up to 3 sessions. If you are worried about a young person that doesn't want to engage with our service, we can provide you with advice and guidance, without the requirement for a referral. If you're unsure whether a referral is appropriate, we recommend contacting us to discuss. Additionally, our young people's team also has another service called On Track that supports young people who are not in education, training or employment (NEET). Click here to find out more. To keep up to date with what our young people's team has been up to, subscribe to our professional's monthly newsletter using the button below. Newsletter Sign-Up Referrals to our Services To do a referral for a young person you are working with, please use the referral forms below. If you need support or have any questions about the referral forms, please contact us. Service Update We are currently receiving a high number of referrals for our YouCan service, which has led us to introduce a waiting list. Whilst we are doing everything we can to meet demand, we are committed to ensuring that children and young people receive the support they need. YouCan This service is for: Age under 19's Living in Norfolk Impacted by family/relative drug/alcohol use If you would like to refer an young person affected by a family members drug/alcohol use, please use the referral form below. YouCan Referral Form Unity This service is for: Age under 19's Living in Norfolk Want to stop/reduce drugs/alcohol use If you would like to refer a young person regarding their drug/alcohol use, please use the referral form below. Unity Referral Form OnTrack This service is for: 13 - 24 year olds Living in Norfolk At risk/not in education or employment If you would like to refer a young person who would like stupport to move closer to education, training or employment, please use the referral form below. OnTrack Referral Form Screening Tool If you are working with a child or young person who is misusing drugs or alcohol, using a screening tool can be a helpful first step in starting a conversation about their substance use. When speaking with them, we recommend staying calm, actively listening, and avoiding overreaction. It’s important to be prepared by familiarising yourself with the support offered by our service, Unity , which you can learn more about on our website . The young person is more likely to engage in the conversation if they feel you understand their situation, are non-judgmental, and that they won’t get into trouble. Click the button below to access the screening tool. You can either use it on your computer with the interactive tick boxes or print it out. Screening Tool Our Targeted Group Offer For targeted groups of young people who have increased vulnerability to substance misuse we can provide structured and unstructured educational sessions tailored to the needs of each group. You can find out more about out more about the support we offer to young people with vulnerabilities and how to request a session using the button below. Group Offer Working with Families We provide comprehensive support for our service users which can incorporate support for parents and carers. You can find out more about what we cover via the parents info page using the button below. Parent Info Getting Appropriate Accurate Advice and Information We have a resources page where we link to relevant resources to help better inform and support young people, parents and carers. If you work for an organisation that you think would benefit the young people we work with, please get in touch. Resources FAQ's How do I get support for someone I know/myself? Anyone can get in touch with us to make a referral. This could be a parent, carer or professional or you. If you want to refer yourself or someone you know, you can do this by going to our contact us page to chat with a member of the team in the most accessible way for you. What happens when I get referred? We will contact you, or the person referring you and arrange to come and meet, in a place you feel comfortable. What happens if I change my mind? Just let us, or the person who referred you know. Our support is totally voluntary. We understand that people change their minds. You are always welcome to come back. Will you tell other people what I have said? We offer a confidential service. Confidentiality means us not telling anyone else about the things you tell us, we will talk to you about who you are comfortable with us talking to. Sometimes your parents, carers or teachers may be aware that you have been referred to us, particularly if you chose to see us at your school or home, this does not mean we will tell them everything that you tell us, we will discuss this with you and agree what information YOU feel comfortable sharing. If there’s a risk of very serious harm to you, or someone else, we may need to share some of what you have told us, we will try and talk to you and let you know what might happen next. Will you tell me to stop using drugs/alcohol? No we understand this is your choice and people use substances for a variety of reasons. We are not here to judge you, or tell you what to do, we will support you to decide what you want from the support. Do you have to tell my parents that I am working with you? If you are over 13 and we feel you understand what it means to get support from us, we do not need to tell your parents that we are supporting you. If you are under 13, we do need to get consent from your parent or carer to be able to offer you support. This doesn’t mean we will tell them what we talk about with you. Will I get into trouble? We will not share the information you tell us unless we are extremely worried for your safety, our aim would be to keep you safe not for you to get into trouble. How long can you work with people? For the YouCan and Unity service. Our support is not time limited we can continue to support you for as long as you feel you need the support. We can see you weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, depending on what works best for you. For On Track, there are sometimes time limits depending on the service. Contact On Track's for more details. Is there a waiting list? We do have at times a waiting list but we will be in contact within 2 weeks and will always keep you updated of when a meeting will be booked. Can I see you in school? Yes we can come and meet you in a place you feel comfortable this could be at home, school, college, wherever you feel comfortable. Can I talk to you about other stuff? Yes we understand that drug or alcohol issues can be one of the issues you are facing, we will complete an assessment with you that will look at what other support may be useful, this could include mental and physical health, housing, education and relationship advice. Will there be a change in worker? We try not to change your worker, we know it can be difficult when one of our workers leave, if we have to change you to a new worker, we will ask you what kind of person you would feel most comfortable with and try and match you with one of our workers. Can I bring someone with me? Yes we understand it can be a big step meeting someone new. My parents/carers don't drive, how do I get to you? We come to you! We can meet you in a location you feel comfortable such as school and for our holiday activities we can arrange transport so you can attend.

The Matthew Project is a Norfolk charity offering free, confidential support for young people dealing with issues around drugs, alcohol, or family substance use. Our services include YouCan (help for under-19s affected by a family member’s substance use), Unity (support for under-19s impacted by personal or others' substance use), and On Track (guidance for 13-24s facing barriers to education or employment). Welcome! Here you can see our young people services that we run at The Matthew Project. Our services aim to support, empower and advise young people. Need to chat? We're here to listen! Our anonymous live chat is open for young people aged 13 and up, Monday to Thursday, 4 pm to 7 pm. Just visit our website during these hours and tap the orange circle in the bottom-right corner to start chatting with one of our friendly workers from the young people's team. YouCan If your worried about a family member or relative using drugs/alcohol, use the button below to see how we can help. This service is for: Age under 19's Living in Norfolk Impacted by family/relative drug/alcohol use Read More Unity If you are worried that your own drug/alcohol use is having a significant impact on you or others around you, click on the button below to see how we can help. This service is for: Age under 19's Living in Norfolk Want to stop/reduce drugs/alcohol use Read More On Track Do you have barriers making it difficult to find/stay in education/employment. Use the button below to see how we can help. This service is for: 13 - 24 year olds Living in Norfolk At risk/not in education or employment Read More If you are a professional working with a young person or a parent/carer looking for support for their child, you can find out more about how we can help. Please use the relevant button below for more info. Professionals Parents Accessibility We believe all young people should have equal access to information and support regardless of barriers. To see how we do this follow the button below. Read More Have Your Say We value our young peoples feedback and ideas. If you would like to see how you can have your say, please follow the button below. Read More Your Stories Want to know about another young persons experience? Click the button below to see some short stories from other young people we have helped. Read More What's New