The Matthew Project

23/08/2026

📖 Stories of Strength - Janet's Story📖

When Janet was first referred to The Matthew Project in April 2025, her life had reached crisis point.

What had begun as drinking to help her sleep had gradually spiralled into something far more overwhelming. As her alcohol use increased, so did the impact on every part of her life. Financial pressures mounted, she lost her home, and eventually found herself homeless and emotionally exhausted. The weight of isolation, instability, and declining mental health became too much, leading to a su***de attempt that left her deeply vulnerable.

When Janet first came into contact with the service, the priority was simply creating a safe and supportive space for her to begin again. Through assessment conversations and early planning, she explored the support available and was invited to join the Recovery Support Programme and drop‑in sessions.

But recovery is rarely straightforward.

Read Janet's full story here - https://buff.ly/XT4aWdq

16/08/2026

📖 Stories of Strength - Harley's Story📖

Before Harley found The Matthew Project, life had not been easy.

Living with ASD, physical health challenges, and the heartbreaking loss of his mum to cancer, Harley often struggled to find his place in the world. Everyday life could feel overwhelming, and opportunities that many young people take for granted sometimes felt out of reach. As Harley is home schooled, it was particularly important for him to build friendships, meet new people, and develop confidence in social situations.

A year ago, Harley began working with The Matthew Project through the On Track programme, starting with one-to-one coaching. From the very beginning, his Young People’s Practitioner took time to understand Harley as an individual, recognising both the challenges he faced and the strengths he already had.

With personalised support, encouragement, and structure, things slowly began to change.

Read Harley's full story here - https://buff.ly/2X0GYOH

11/08/2026

🧑‍🍳 SAVE THE DATE 🍴 Six Chefs, One Cause 📆 3rd November - 6.30PM 📍 Debut Restaurant, City College Norwich.

Enjoy a 6 course tasting menu created by 6 top local chefs, whilst raising money for an excellent cause.

What to expect on the night:

🍴 6 course tasting menu, each course by 6 different chefs 🧑‍🍳 live footage from the kitchen 🎵 entertainment with live international DJ .djuk 🏆️ opportunity to take part in exclusive charity auction on the night 🤍 all proceeds go to The Matthew Project Charity, helping young people & adults struggling with substance misuse.

Confirmed Chefs:
⭐️Liam Nichols
⭐️ Jack Gosling
⭐️ Jimmy Preston
⭐️ Lee Tyler
⭐️ John Walker

More info & ticket sales coming soon 👀

10/08/2026

🕯️ Join us for our annual event at Norwich Cathedral, coming together to remember and honour the lives of those lost and suffering due to addiction.

Thursday 10th September, 7.30-8.30PM 📍 Norwich Cathedral

Free for all to join. Save the date ⭐️

Join us for our annual event, coming together to remember and honour the lives of those lost and suffering due to addiction.

09/08/2026

📖 Stories of Strength - Anika's Story📖

Before joining On Track, Anika’s anxiety had become so overwhelming that she rarely left the house. When she did go out, she relied on her mum to drive her everywhere. Over time, the isolation began to impact her wellbeing even further, and she slowly lost confidence in herself and the world around her.

One of the things Anika missed most was dancing, a hobby she had once loved but no longer felt able to attend because of her anxiety.

When Anika first began working with On Track, the focus was not on rushing change, but on building trust and creating small, manageable steps forward. Weekly coaching sessions started inside her home, where she felt safe and comfortable. As her confidence slowly grew, sessions moved into the garden, then to a nearby café, and eventually to other places in the community.

Step by step, Anika began to reconnect with the outside world.

Read Anika's full story here - https://buff.ly/V372tD4

06/08/2026

Through all the heatwaves, we’ve been as busy as ever at TMP! 🌞

We’ve documented everything from the last few months on our blog, including our Young People’s Teams’ activities, our volunteer celebration, and all our Catering Team’s tasty ventures.

Read more: https://buff.ly/Pf3aJsu

04/08/2026

A few of our superstars who will be doing the Three Peaks Challenge to fundraise for TMP 🧗🗻

Dan, David, Luke A, Luke, Kirsty Sarah, Damian & Léa
(And Pete who’ll be driving them between the three mountains 🚗) will be taking on the challenge this September.

You can donate via the link - https://www.justgiving.com/team/3peakchallengetmp to support them on their journey 🌟

02/08/2026

📖Stories of Strength - David's Story 📖

David has spent much of his life serving others. In his younger years, he served in an infantry regiment overseas before many years working as civil servant in central government. Later, he and his spouse relocated to manage several golf courses until retirement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But retirement brought unexpected challenges. Declining health, major surgery, and reduced mobility slowly took away the routine and independence that had shaped his life for decades. As isolation grew, alcohol gradually became part of his daily routine.

Everything changed after a serious alcohol-related fall left David in hospital with a head injury. During his four-week stay, he was diagnosed with alcohol-related cognitive impairment, and doctors feared he would quickly return to harmful drinking once discharged home.

When veteran-informed recovery support became involved through an NHS referral, David had little memory of the early stages of his admission and was surprised he had stayed alcohol-free while in hospital.

Read David's full story here - https://buff.ly/MGGb3YS

27/07/2026

🏔️ Dan, David, Luke A, Luke, Kirsty, Sarah, Damian and Léa from TMP are climbing the three highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales over three days to raise money for The Matthew Project. Pete (Next Steps for Veterans) has kindly offered to drive the group between the peaks. Support them in reaching their fundraising target on the link below ⭐️

https://buff.ly/TqwZrND

Help Lea Denley raise money to support The Matthew Project