Bury woman shortlisted for national award

Reporter: Laura Wild
Date online: 07 December 2009

A Bury woman who established a support service for teenage drug users has been shortlisted for a Tackling Drugs Changing Lives award.

Beverley Whitworth, from Streetwise 2000 Young Person’s Service, made the shortlist after being named the North West winner in the category which examined work done for young people.

Ms Whitworth has been helping young people throughout her 19-year career in mental health services in Bury, and for the last ten years has worked for Streetwise. She manages the team which assists young people, aged 16 to 25, who have mental health problems, often drug-related.

She was nominated because of her work in jointly setting up Bury’s Living Clean and Free Group for young recreational drug users, and is now one of 28 regional winners who have been shortlisted for the two national awards being handed out on 9 December.

The awards celebrate unsung heroes who go beyond the call of duty in tackling drug use in communities.

Through Streetwise, and the Young People’s Substance Steering Group, Ms Whitworth became aware of gaps in provision for 19 to 25 year-old recreational users. 

She said: “The new group looks at ways that we can engage young people through the skills that they already have, and finds something that they have an interest in. Some are performing in a theatre group looking at young people’s issues. It means we can continue, as a borough, to intervene at an earlier stage of drug dependency than we would otherwise be able to.

“The group can be a challenging yet supportive setting for those who attend, and it is an excellent example of an exit strategy from the Early Break young people’s service. It can also be a route into adult services as relationships develop with the adult worker who delivers the sessions.

“It’s the young people who make the service what it is. Without them it would not exist and they are really excited about the awards.”

Two national winners will be announced on 9 December in London. They will each receive £10,000 for their organisation.