Recovery Ambassadors Programme - Peer Support for Substance Use Recovery

Hampshire County Council Public Health is seeking to expand its Recovery Ambassadors programme, which trains and supports people with lived experience of drug and/or alcohol dependency who are now in recovery. Recovery Ambassadors use their personal experience to help, engage and inspire others to seek help and maintain recovery from substance use. This initiative addresses a critical need in Hampshire, where an estimated 2,100 people use opiates and/or crack cocaine, around 9,000 people are alcohol-dependent without current treatment, and over 5,000 people are in active treatment but remain vulnerable. The programme aims to reduce stigma, which is a significant barrier to people seeking help and participating fully in community life. Evidence shows that peer support and contact with people with lived experience are effective at reducing stigma and supporting longer-term recovery outcomes. The established programme currently operates in Havant, Gosport and Fareham districts and is seeking to engage suppliers and partners to help scale and sustain this evidence-based intervention across Hampshire.