A DRUG and alcohol rehabilitation charity have revealed a ‘massive’ increase in demand for its services since lockdown started.

The Well, based in Barrow, is a community of people that supports one another which has staff and volunteers with ‘lived experience’ of addiction to help those that need support.

It has been relied more heavily upon in recent times due to the coronavirus pandemic, their found David Higham has said.

“What we have seen is a massive increase in queries through phone calls, emails, and our social media of people needing support during this Covid pandemic,” Mr Higham said.

“When lockdown arrived the two things that were empty on the shelves were toilet roll and alcohol. Out of boredom people have started drinking more.

“I don’t think we have even seen the impact of the pandemic yet in terms of addiction – but we have seen that increase in our drug and alcohol services combined with mental health problems coming through our services.

“The mental health side combined with alcohol or drug issues, the dual diagnosis, is something we are seeing more of in those living alone because they don’t have those interactions, so they are turning to LEROs (Lived Experience Recovery Organisations) such as ours.”

Mr Higham explained that because of them being a LERO they can adapt quickly and took a digital approach to support for those that need them providing a seven-day-a-week service.

They have continued to run their housing and occupancy service in the area throughout as well which has seen some major success stories, with James Campbell being one of the more recent highlighted in a report by The Mail.

“James is just an example of how people can turn their life around from being at the brink of death to living a life beyond their wildest dreams,” Mr Higham continued.

“We have now got more than 2,600 members which has increased massively through lockdown periods.

“But we are responding to this crisis and have seen some amazing results.”

James Campbell was a heroin addict for years and has now turned his life around, thanks to The Well, and is now working as part of the Hepatitis C Trust to help others who were once in a similar situation to him.

The 40-year-old is just one of countless success stories to come out of The Well and will certainly not be the last.

The Well have plans to spread the work they do throughout Cumbria soon as well.