A SCOTTISH Government minister has hailed an Inverclyde charity and declared it is ‘making recovery visible’ through great work in the local community.

Elena Whitham, minister for drugs and alcohol policy, visited Moving On Inverclyde last Wednesday after being invited by Inverclyde MSP Stuart McMillan.

Mr McMillan, the charity's vice-chair, wrote to Ms Whitham when she took up the role earlier this year.

She said: "It was a privilege to be welcomed by all at Moving On Inverclyde [MOI] and to see recovery in action.

“I was met by the community and welcomed into their space and honoured to hear them share their journeys and I came away with a renewed sense of hope.

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“They really are making recovery visible at MOI, helping people to discover skills and passions and to reconnect with family and community.

“It was clear that the path isn't always straight forward, but the staff and their fellow peers are there to support them each and every step of the way."

Recent figures showed that drug-related deaths in Inverclyde rose from 16 in 2021 to 29 in this year – with the area also having the highest rate of alcohol-related deaths in the whole of Scotland over the past five years.

Mr McMillan said: “We need to use the drug and alcohol deaths figures to reflect upon how local recovery services, both public and third sector, are working, but it’s also important to recognise that there is good work underway in Inverclyde.

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“Lives are being saved, as is evident by those who come through Moving On, but we should not be complacent – we need to all redouble our efforts to ensure that everyone who misuses drugs and alcohol has that same chance to enter into recovery.”

Moving On Inverclyde service delivery manager Bev Thow is urging anyone looking to change their relationship with drugs or alcohol to get in touch.

She added: “We have supported individuals and their families in our local community for over 20 years and our approach has always been to empower people, providing the tools and encouragement to take responsibility for their own actions and their futures.

“The recent figures show there is much work still to be done to impact deaths from drugs and alcohol, but change is possible, and Moving On is a brilliant example of that."