Ben Macpherson SNP MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith showed his support for the work of Corra Foundation when they shared their groundbreaking Everyone Has a Story report at a reception in the Scottish Parliament on 6th December.
Everyone Has a Story was a piece of work that took a new approach to filling in the gaps in the knowledge, support and evidence for children and young people impacted by parental recovery from drug and/or alcohol addiction.
The work culminated in a report which shone a light on the stories of children and young people and outlined how support services could be delivered to best address their recovery needs. The project was funded in partnership with the Scottish Government and The Robertson Trust, and was facilitated and delivery supported by Evaluation Support Scotland and Ice Cream Architecture.
The reception heard from young people and provided an update on work now being taken forward to embed Everyone Has a Story into practice.
Fiona Duncan, Chief Executive of Corra Foundation, said: “We heard deeply powerful insights this evening from young people who were brave enough to stand up and share their stories, as well as others who spent time at the event speaking with MSPs and others. They all strongly reinforced the key message from Everyone Has a Story which is that listening to children and young people is crucial, yet it still does not happen well enough or often enough.
“The reception was an opportunity for people, including decision makers such as MSP Ben Macpherson, to meet and hear directly from children and young people who have been affected by their parent or carers’ use of alcohol and/or other drugs.
“The young people who spoke did so in order that other children and young people can have happier stories. We have a responsibility to act on what they tell us, and to help create positive change.”
Aileen Campbell MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Public Health and Sport who spoke at the reception said: “Scottish Government is pleased to continue working alongside Corra Foundation and other partners on this important piece of work. I have had the great pleasure of meeting some of the young people and families supported by projects funded through Partnership Drugs Initiative and have been struck by the power of the stories that are at the heart of Everyone Has a Story.”
“This Government is continuing to work alongside our partners on a set of proposals which take forward the excellent and insightful work in this report and ensure that the voices of children and young people are heard at every step of the recovery process.”
SNP MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Ben Macpherson, said: “It was good to attend this reception, not only to hear more about the achievements of the Corra Foundation but also to learn about its support for locally based organisations like Circle Scotland and The Junction.
“It’s clear that the impact of a parent’s or carer’s recovery journey is significant and complex for children and young people involved. Listening to children and young people is vital in order to gain a better understanding of this, and I commend the work of the Corra Foundation in supporting young people and their support for local organisations in Edinburgh Northern and Leith.”
Corra Foundation was previously Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland.
You can read the Everyone Has A Story report here: https://www.corra.scot/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Everyone-Has-a-Story-Overview-Report.pdf
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