DrugFam was set up 11 years ago by a mother who had lost her son to drugs. Her intention was to create a charity that would support the families of people caught up with drug or alcohol addiction. Here is some of the history of DrugFam.
It was an extraordinarily moving service with a mixture hymns (many sung by the soaring and ethereal Westminster Abbey choir) addresses, prayers and readings. I was sitting near the front in amongst people who, they told me, all had stories to tell of close family members who become addicted to drugs or alcohol. Many paper handkerchiefs were deployed.
The core themes were hope and love... and that there are many lives "worth talking about". More than one speaker urged people to talk more openly and challenge the stigma that surrounds the addictions to alcohol and drugs.
The service ended with one of my favourite hymns which I can remember singing as a child. The words mean a great deal to me. Perhaps they do to you too.
We help each other and we help ourselves when we talk about the difficult parts of our lives and DrugFam is clearly doing a great job at helping families wrestle with the deep challenges of having a family member involved with drugs and alcohol.
Afterwords there was a reception and I had the pleasure of my first 'chain gang' picture. Next to me is the Lord Mayor of Westminster and next to him is the Chairman of Wycombe District Council. We had a good chat.
I also had a long conversation with a young woman running a mentoring scheme in the London Borough of Southwark. I wish I had taken her details so I could post a link here. But it sounded like her organisation is doing some amazing work. Do we have a youth mentoring project in our part of Bucks? I am off in search!
And here is a selfie of me by the front of Westminster Abbey. Such an incredible place which I hardly got to see around. I must go back again sometime!
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