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Dear all, I'm getting in touch to ask for your examples of preventative work going on in drug and alcohol services. Funded by the Big Lottery Fund, we lead the Early Action Task Force - a group of cross-sector experts working to understand how best to build a society which prevents social problems rather than dealing with their consequences. As part of our policy and research work, we've started collecting examples of what we call early action, services or activities which forestall or try to tackle the cause of social problems, to inform and inspire commissioners and community workers trying to make it happen, and influence local and national policy agendas in the process. I wrote this blog<http://www.community-links.org/linksuk/?p=4980&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Linksuk+%28linksUK%29> post a few weeks ago, talking more about our project and giving links<http://www.community-links.org/earlyaction/> to further information about our research. I've written more about Community Links and the Early Action Task Force below. I'm now keen to uncover more examples of early action going on in drug and alcohol services. That's why I'm asking you to contact me if you know of any prevention projects with the aim of supporting people tackle drug and alcohol problems before they worsen or become difficult to reverse. They can operate at any scale, from a community support group to a county-wide programme helping people into sustainable housing and work. So long as there's a prevention message that acting earlier enables people to lead thriving lives, costing less and contributing more, I want to hear from you. I only ask that they've been implemented, either as piloted or ongoing projects, so that we're able to see how they're working in practice. Please tell me if you know, or are part of, an early action project, don't hesitate to get in touch at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> or on 020 7473 9666. As we approach this busy time of year, thank you for your time and, in advance, for any help. Warm regards, Jennifer Jennifer Beckwith Policy Researcher [cid:image001.jpg@01D12905.158A8570] [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> | 020 7473 9666 105 Barking Road | London | E16 4HQ www.community-links.org<blocked::http://www.community-links.org/> | @comm_links<blocked::http://www.twitter.com/comm_links> Community Links Trust Ltd. is a charity registered in England no. 1018517 and a registered company no. 2661182 More about Community Links and the Early Action Task Force: We are a social action charity operating in east London delivering a wide range of community, employment and youth services. We are trying to find new ways of working at a local level in order to share our learning at a national level. Because we're well-established and this model works, or advisors and policy and research team are recognised as leaders on regeneration, poverty and employment policy. We've given evidence at Select Committees, including the Public Accounts Committee that subsequently published their Early Action Landscape<https://www.nao.org.uk/report/early-action-landscape-review/> review endorsing many of our ideas. We've also worked with the Welsh Government on the creation of the Future Generations Act passed in April that seeks to put prevention at the heart of all government's work. Since the Early Action Task Force<http://www.community-links.org/earlyaction/the-taskforce/> was established in 2011, a now independent Early Action Funders Alliance has been set up to support the early action agenda and includes organisations such as Comic Relief, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and the Barrow Cadbury Foundation. This year an Early Action Neighbourhood Alliance was launched giving £5.3m across three early action projects<https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/global-content/press-releases/england/180215_eng_eanf_uk-funders-come-together>. P.S. If you receive this more than once, you're in multiple JISC mailing lists I am keen to hear from! Apologies for cross-posting.