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Lenny Henry entertained the audience with his humour and spoke frankly about the reality of drugs and addiction, comparing Drugsline’s grassroots work in schools with the achievements of Comic Relief – both of which work to positively effect future generations of vulnerable people. Henry drew huge applause when he announced that Drugsline’s Schools Team has seen 47,000 young people in the last academic year; provided more than 650 individuals with specialist counselling sessions and trained 65 volunteers to respond to calls via the crisis line (0808 1 606 606). Mixing his quips with serious attention to the growing celebrity drugs culture and the negative impact this has on young people and the general public alike, Henry offered the audience personal anecdotes of his time spent filming homeless people on the streets of London and in deprived African villages during times of drought and famine, commenting; ‘it was tragic and uplifting all at the same time.’ Calling on Drugsline’s guests to support the charity as much as they can, Henry concluded, ‘Drugsline is an amazing charity’.
The guests were welcomed by Lee Scott MP for Ilford North, who expressed his delight at seeing so many people present to support ‘a very special and important charity’, adding:
“Drugsline is carrying out outstanding work and the whole team – staff and volunteers – show unending dedication and passion for the cause. Rabbi Sufrin’s strong leadership provides the driving force behind a charity that is unique and truly effective.”
Following a moving film which chronicled the lives of four very different individuals who had experienced addiction, Drugsline’s Executive Director Rabbi Sufrin recalled some highlights from the last year - including an exciting event in Parliament when young people addressed MPs to discuss drugs education. He commented:
“There are far fewer people in this room tonight than in previous years, no doubt a direct result of financial challenges. We consider certain causes are vital because we can relate to them and we continue to support these charities because we believe that one day, our family and friends may need their services. It is critical to understand that Drugsline is in this same vital category. There is no way that drugs and alcohol will not penetrate everyone’s lives in some way, directly or indirectly.”
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