News

It’s not often that we stop to celebrate us and all that we do, but our 25th – half a century – birthday seems a fitting time to pat ourselves on the back and share our top 6 highlights from the past twelve months. Happy birthday to us!

1. NEW VOLUNTARY THROUGHCARE SERVICE LAUNCHED
In January 2025, we announced our new national partnership delivering transformative voluntary throughcare support across Scotland, alongside partners Action for Children, Apex Scotland, Barnardo’s, Circle, Families Outside, Sacro, and Turning Point Scotland.

2. LAPTOP FUNDING FOR DUNDEE
In December 2024, our Access Recovery Dundee service was awarded funding by Digital Lifelines Scotland to provide 30 people with a Chromebook and MiFi/SIM (plus staff time to support them with the new device) – improving digital inclusion and enabling them to progress with their learning on their journey towards employment.

3. NEW LEARNING HUB AND OFFICE IN MIDLOTHIAN
In October 2024, after ten years of outreach in Mid and East Lothian working with adults in recovery from substance use, or with current or past involvement with criminal justice, we opened the doors on our new local office and established classroom space in Hardengreen Learning Hub.

4. INAUGURAL SHOWCASE OF CREATIVITY
Our first ever Showcase of Creativity, held in August 2024, was attended by over 100 people, coming together to witness the creative talents of the people we support. Put together by, and featuring the work of, our students, it encompassed photography, artwork, writing, video, performance and writing workshops.

5. OUR CERTIFICATE CEREMONY 2024
In June 2024, our annual Certificate Ceremony brought together a celebratory crowd to recognise the students from across our various courses, classes and groups who had achieved that year, awarding a whopping 242 certificates to 184 students.

6. BARISTA TRAINING IN HMP & YOI POLMONT
In March 2024, our purchase of two professional-grade coffee machines (with funding from the CashBack for Communities programme) enabled staff and individuals at HMP & YOI Polmont to gain their SCQF level 5 qualification in Barista Skills training – the first prison in Scotland to become an accredited training centre for this nationally recognised qualification.

Find out more about all the Services we offer here. And our Courses and groups here.