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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.

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. 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 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 Load more

Resources to help inform you and keep you safe around drug and alcohol use. Leaflets and Posters Download and print our leaflets and posters to use in your school, workplace, community centre, or anywhere that young people may want to learn more about our services. YouCan Leaflet Poster Unity Leaflet Poster On Track King's Lynn and West Norfolk Coaching Kings Lynn and West Norfolk SPACE Great Yarmouth Support Norwich Safe Space Substance Information Ketamine Poster

Information to help parents and careres who have a child struggling with drugs/alcohol or is affected by family use. Parents/Carers Info A little about us We are a Norfolk charity that provide a free confidential service to young people up to 19. These young people can be using substances themselves (we refer to this as Substance Misuse) or that have a parent, carer or sibling thats using substances that could be affecting them (we refer to this as Affected Other). Worried your child is an Affected Other? If your worried that your own, a relatives or other childs substance use could be affecting one of your children, we can support them. Support Worried about your child's drug/alcohol use? IIf you're struggling with a young person's substance use, we're here to help. You are not alone - drugs and alcohol can impact the entire family. Support Support for you We can provide support to parents who are worried about their child's substance misuse. This can include virtual group sessions, focusing on the exploration of family dynamics, boundaries, consequences and the development of support networks. The Matthew Project run a parent/carer support group which runs monthly and provides a chance to meet other parents of under 19's who are experiencing similar difficulties. The groups aims are to help deal with the worries and stresses faced while providing strategies to help you to cope and deal with the challenges that often arise. The parent support group takes place 19:00 - 21:00 at 70 - 80 Oak St, Norwich, NR3 3AQ. Booking is essential. The referral form for the parent/carer group is below. For more information, please email: unity@matthewproject.org Referral Form Parent FAQ's Further Tips & Advice Contact Us The Matthew Project supports adults in addiction recovery through structured programs, skills training, therapeutic group sessions, and one-to-one support. The Matthew Project Change Grow Live (CGL) offer support for adults affected by someone else’s substance use and supports adults who are struggling with their own substance misuse. CGL's Website “When shut out of your son’s life, and all doors seemed closed, The Matthew Project opened theirs. A big thank you. As a parent I was desperate, how must my son feel?” Anonymous Parent/Carer