July 10, 2025
Alcohol Awareness Week is a good time to reflect on the many paths people take in recovery — and how Bounce Back supports them along the way.
Over 30% of the clients we support through our Employment Services declare they have a history of alcohol use to the extent that they believe it is a key barrier to sustaining training or employment.
Bounce Back is proud to be part of Change Grow Live, the UK’s third-largest provider of drug and alcohol services, giving us a strong foundation and access to expert resources while we deliver localised, practical support where it’s needed most.
Between April 2023 and March 2024, 310,863 adults were in contact with drug and alcohol treatment services — a 7% increase and the highest total since 2009–10 [1].
Despite this, real-terms funding for adult drug and alcohol treatment has been slashed by over 52% since 2014–15 [2][3].
This stark contrast between rising need and falling resources makes community-based support — tailored, flexible, and holistic — more important than ever.
Through our Pathways to Employment projects in Tower Hamlets and Southwark, Bounce Back supports people at different stages of recovery, offering help where it’s most needed — whether that’s training, housing, confidence-building, or something as simple as access to healthy meals. We offer vocational training in areas like painting and decorating, CSCS, cleaning, and basic skills such as functional maths. For some, training is the starting point — for others, it comes later once things like housing or mental health are more stable.
54% of clients who report alcohol as a barrier to employment and training go on to successfully complete training.
Callum, for example, came to us at 25 after time in prison and a history of substance dependency and alcohol use. He completed various training courses, gained his CSCS card, and is now working with a construction firm.
What sets Bounce Back apart is how we listen. Many of our clients face more than just unemployment — they’re dealing with homelessness, trauma, poor mental health, or broken relationships. We offer a safe space to talk, rebuild trust with professionals, and slowly build the self-confidence needed to re-enter the world of work.
Collaboration is central to what we do, and Bounce Back is proud to be a member of the Southwark Works network. We also work closely with local authorities, London Probation, Change Grow Live, and St Mungo’s to ensure our clients are set up for success.
From supporting participants such as Robbie and his mum through homelessness, to helping Martin explore stage design as a career, or helping Phil — after years battling addiction — build his skills in screenwriting, we respond to people’s individual needs and aspirations. With 80% of clients with a history of alcohol use sustaining employment for 13 weeks, this shows that long-term, consistent support is the catalyst for change.
Every journey is different, and at Bounce Back, we tailor our support to the individual — helping people build new skills, confidence, and a positive future.
If you’d like to be referred or are interested in partnering with Bounce Back, please contact us.
References
- Adult substance misuse treatment statistics 2023 to 2024: report – GOV.UK
- Reducing the harm from illegal drugs – Committee of Public Accounts
- Addiction Treatment Budget Cuts | Cuts by region
