Addiction Family Support

03/11/2026

People living with the impact of a loved one's addiction are too often overlooked, yet they can experience huge distress, stigma and isolation.

For 20 years, Addiction Family Support has been here for them. Our free, specialist support is available across the UK, combining evidence-based practice with compassion and lived experience.

But demand keeps growing. Around 800 calls are made to our helpline every month, more than we currently have capacity to answer. We receive no government or local authority funding, so every donation helps us be there for more people.

💚 £10,000 could fund around 320 helpline calls and 5-Step Method support for 20 people.

To find out more or support our work, visit addictionfamilysupport.org.uk

27/10/2026

What a special day! 💚

Staff, trustees and volunteers came together in London for our Volunteer Away Day, a chance to celebrate the incredible volunteers who are truly the life force of Addiction Family Support.

We shared stories about the rewards and challenges of supporting people affected or bereaved by a loved one’s harmful use of alcohol, drugs, or gambling. It was wonderful to hear such positive feedback about the training, care and support our volunteers receive, and we also mapped out exciting plans for the future.

Above all, it was a chance to connect with others who share the same passion.

A real highlight was awarding certificates to volunteers for their dedicated hours on our helpline, presented by none other than our founder and Honorary President, Elizabeth Burton-Phillips MBE.

To every one of our volunteers: thank you. Your time, compassion and kindness mean that people never have to face a loved one’s addiction alone.

20/10/2026

Today is World Statistics Day 📊

Behind every number is a person who reached out for support.

Here's what our 2026 results tell us:

💚 98% of helpline callers said they benefitted from their call
💚 83% of survey respondents felt less anxious
💚 95% said our support made a positive difference to their lives
💚 Around 800 calls are made to our helpline every month
💚 We support around 3,300 people across the UK each year

For people affected or bereaved by a loved one's harmful use of alcohol, drugs, or gambling, these numbers mean feeling heard, less alone and better able to cope.

If you need someone to talk to, our free helpline is open 7 days a week on 0300 888 3853.

13/10/2026

We’re hiring 💚

Could you help our volunteers give safe, consistent support to people affected or bereaved by a loved one’s harmful use of alcohol, drugs, or gambling?

We’re looking for a part time Training & Support Manager on a fixed-term maternity cover contract from January 2027. You’d plan and deliver our volunteer training and provide reflective practice supervision.

Experience in training, family support, counselling, social care, health or education? We’d love to hear from you. Applications close Thursday 5 November.

Find out more and apply: https://www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs/addiction-family-support/training-and-support-manager/1085021

Apply now for Training and Support Manager. , £28,000 per year pro rata, find a career with meaning today

10/10/2026

Today is World Mental Health Day.

When someone you love is harmfully using alcohol, drugs, or gambling, it's easy to put your own mental health last. Worry, guilt and exhaustion can quietly take over.

This World Mental Health Day, we want you to know that your wellbeing matters too. Looking after yourself isn't selfish. It's an important part of coping.

At Addiction Family Support, our 5-Step Method helps you put your own health and wellbeing first:

💚 Being heard. A safe space to share your story, without judgement.
💚 Understanding more. Clear information to help you make sense of what's happening.
💚 Finding ways to cope. Exploring what works for you and what might help.
💚 Building support. Strengthening the people and connections around you.
💚 Looking ahead. Reviewing your progress and focusing on your own needs.

You don't have to face this alone. Our free, confidential helpline is open 7 days a week on 0300 888 3853.

🌐 addictionfamilysupport.org.uk

06/10/2026

Meet our founder, Elizabeth Burton-Phillips MBE 💚

Elizabeth was a teacher and a mum who always did her best for her children. She never imagined that her identical twin sons would become involved in harmful drug use.

In 2004, Elizabeth lost her son Nick, aged just 27. Through her grief, she saw how little support existed for families like hers. In 2006, she founded Addiction Family Support so that no one would have to face a loved one's addiction alone.

For 20 years, Elizabeth has campaigned tirelessly for people affected or bereaved by a loved one's harmful use of alcohol, drugs, or gambling. She has delivered over 1,000 talks in schools, prisons and at conferences, and was awarded an MBE for her services to people affected by addiction.

"Every day, I am reminded of the importance of our work at Addiction Family Support. The need for our support is greater than ever, and I am immensely proud of the impact we've had in helping thousands of individuals and families navigate the challenges of their loved one's addiction."

📖 Elizabeth shares her family's story in her book, 'Mum, can you lend me twenty quid?', read by thousands and translated into six languages.

Waterstones: https://bit.ly/4baDVb1
Audible: https://adbl.co/3ShMpW2

If you are affected by a loved one's harmful use of alcohol, drugs, or gambling, our free helpline is here for you 7 days a week on 0300 888 3853.

29/09/2026

Matteo's partner is in recovery and back in his life. They share a home again, and Matteo says their relationship is more honest and more intentional than it was before. He credits the boundaries he was able to build with our support.

His message to anyone who is where he once was:

"Keep going, even when you feel like you are not getting much. Even when you feel better and think you no longer need support, keep going. Addiction is a journey for our loved ones that doesn't cease when they are in recovery and doing better."

If you are affected or bereaved by a loved one's harmful use of alcohol, drugs, or gambling, our helpline is open seven days a week and our support is always free. 💚

0300 888 3853

Read Matteo's story: https://addictionfamilysupport.org.uk/finding-a-way-through-matteos-story/

22/09/2026

When someone dies because of addiction, grief can arrive tangled up with guilt, shock, and questions that may never be answered.

We have created a new resource for people bereaved in this way. It covers what grief can feel like, how long it lasts, the pressure that can come from other people, stigma, and where support is available when you want it.

The first question it answers is simply this: what if I am not ready to read or do anything yet?

"In the early stages of grief, doing nothing can be a form of care. Resting the nervous system is not avoidance, it is protection." Elizabeth Burton-Phillips MBE, Founder and Honorary President of Addiction Family Support

You do not have to read all of it. Some people return to it slowly, in pieces. Others leave and come back weeks or months later. There is no right timing.

Your Questions Answered: https://addictionfamilysupport.org.uk/your-questions-answered-bereaved/

Our helpline is open seven days a week on 0300 888 3853.

15/09/2026

A huge thank you to Alice, who took on the Southwest Coast Ultra Challenge in July and raised £463 plus Gift Aid for Addiction Family Support.

It was a long, hot day, but Alice loved every bit of it.

"It was a very long, hot day of thrills and spills but we absolutely loved it. Such a wonderful event and beautiful scenery. Running for your charity made it all the more worthwhile."

Alice chose to run for us because she has seen at first hand how much a loved one's addiction can affect the people around them. That understanding is exactly why our work matters, and why support like hers means so much.

Money raised this way goes straight into our services. Around £2,000 funds 100 helpline calls for people who have nowhere else to turn.

Thank you, Alice. 💚

08/09/2026

Matteo came to us after discovering that his partner had been living with harmful drug use privately for a long time. He had already been in therapy for years, working through his own history, but he knew this needed something different.

"I needed to be surrounded by people who genuinely understood these experiences, people who could offer the insight and support my regular friends, despite their love for me, simply could not provide."

In our group support he found people from all kinds of backgrounds carrying experiences a lot like his own. Hearing them helped him make sense of his own situation.

"The team was extraordinary, and I immediately felt connected to the group."

If someone you love is using alcohol, drugs, or gambling in a way that is harming them, you do not have to carry it on your own. Our support is free and you do not need a referral.

Read Matteo's story: https://addictionfamilysupport.org.uk/finding-a-way-through-matteos-story/