Frontline Supports Addiction Concerns In Inchicore

Drug and alcohol abuse is a serious problem in Ireland. In 2019 alone, there were an astonishing 7,546 cases of people treated for problem alcohol use, and an enormous 10,664 cases of people treated for problem drug use. 

Numbers like these will continue to rise unless the people who need it most receive the appropriate help. There are many organisations around the country that specialise in helping people who are struggling with alcohol and drug abuse. Frontline is one of them.  

Frontline Make Change is an organisation based in Inchicore. Since 1999 it has helped support those in the local community who are struggling with addiction problems. They work with those who have drug or alcohol addiction issues, as well as providing families with help for their loved ones.  

“Frontline Make Change is a value driven organisation,” says their website. 

“We are committed to change, quality, honesty, innovation and integrity. These strong values are at the heart of all we do, because we believe in people’s capacity to change”. 

They have a committed team of experts to ensure that positive change can happen. Through their work during 2018, they have helped 134 adult clients, 40 children, 34 progressions and aftercare, and 1208 drop-ins. 

A wide range of services are provided to help those wanting to make change, such as adult addiction services, which helps those make positive changes in their addictions. There is also community development and this works with the local communities to develop a positive environment. They also have services available for childcare and this offers a safe space for children. Lastly, there is a social enterprise programme, which seeks to develop a sustainable service and offer a pathway to those wanting to make change. 

“We have been really good with working with people that have addiction problems, getting them through treatment plans, helping them to be drug and alcohol free and doing plenty of development work with them,”says Stuart Fraser, the project director at Frontline Make Change. 

“One of the gaps we’ve always found when people go through this process and get to the end of it, there is a struggle for them getting employment and training. We have seen that a lot of employers wouldn’t take the risk with people who have been through addiction or have a criminal record,” continues Fraser. 

“And with that in mind, we decided to open up our own business to give people a second chance, training and a trade”. 

In October, Frontline Make Change opened a bike shop in Inchicore called ‘Frontline Bike’. It operates just like any other bike shop. They service and repair bikes, along with repairing broken bikes that people have thrown away. This is all achieved by those who have come through the addiction services.  

“We thought that we would try and use what people throw away. A lot of people throw their things away just to buy something new. We rebuild broken bikes and send them out into the community. It’s a similar process in what we do for our clients,” says Fraser 

Frontline Bike not only gives people who once struggled with addiction, employment, it gives them a sense of purpose and a reason to stay on track with their recovery.