Features / Chandos House
Chandos House supporters remain upbeat as doors close
Supporters, team members, and former residents gathered to celebrate 35 years of Chandos House Recovery Centre’s hard work in the Bristol community, on the day the doors closed for the final time. The addiction centre on Chandos Road is one of few facilities of its kind and has attracted people from across the South West and beyond, but has struggled to stay open because of government funding cuts.
However, what seemed to be a final goodbye became a show of resolve from the team, who are still hopeful of re-opening despite needing funding in the region of £1m. “It’s not over,” said head of treatment James Dickinson. “There’s still life and energy here.”
Among the invited guests was Labour MP for Bristol West, Thangam Debbonaire, who has been a key supporter of Chandos House during their seven-month battle to stay open. She said that she was “angered” by the lack of funding for “pioneering” institutions such as Chandos House. “If politicians are really in support of the government’s drug strategy, they need to be here to show that support,” she said. “This place is so important for people across the South West and people could lose their lives without facilities like Chandos House.”
is needed now More than ever
Now that Chandos House has closed, one big question looms over Bristol: what happens to the current residents and addicts in the city looking to recover? Even though many of the residents have been moved to other facilities, former resident Andy said he “feels sorry” for people just starting to get clean: “Chandos has been my saving grace. Without it, I’d have probably died. The majority of people who recover from addiction relapse and Chandos is one of the best facilities for helping people after they relapse and getting them clean again.”
Both Andy and patron Mike Peirce both spoke of the “heart” of Chandos House, which makes it truly unique. People there are part of a community and know that if they relapse, they’re not alone.
Supporters are concerned that, without Chandos House, lives could be lost and more pressure could be placed on families and public services
Many of the supporters who attended the event said they were worried that without the specialist help that Chandos House offered, many addicts would end up falling back into addiction. Local resident Eileen said it was impossible to put a price on the lives and families that were saved by the recovery centre.
MP Thangam is very concerned that nothing is being done to plug the hole that Chandos leaves. “If I sound angered, it’s because I am,” she said. “The government has published a drug strategy without funding, and words are no good without the cash. Someone has the money to donate, and we need to keep up the pressure.”
If you would like to donate and support Chandos House, you can do so via their Just Giving page. Find out more about the campaign to keep the centre open at www.chandoshouse.org/appeal
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