PROPS

Website: https://props.org.uk/
Contact: 01912263440 (helpline, 9am–9pm, 7 days a week) or https://props.org.uk/get-in-touch/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PROPSNthEst/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/propsnortheast/ (youth: https://www.instagram.com/propsyouth/)
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/props-north-east

What we do
PROPS is a specialist service for adults and young people aged 5 to 18, whose lives are affected by someone else's alcohol or drug use, based in Newcastle and North Tyneside. We offer specialist support — structured programmes, emotional support, one-to-one work and training/education — tailored to each person's needs. Group support encourages shared learning and lets people support each other.

Our story
PROPS was founded in 1997 out of local women's concerns about the lack of support for families. In 2003 we received the Queens Golden Jubilee Award for Service to Local Communities, and our then Chair, the late Val Clark, was recognised as a Local Hero in the Year of the Volunteer. What began as a peer support meeting grew into a charity that has helped thousands of families across the North East and beyond.

Our main intervention is CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training), developed by Dr Robert J Meyers in the US to help carers encourage resistant substance abusers into treatment; Dr Meyers has been a patron of PROPS North East since 2013.

We encourage carers to "make time for yourself" — caring for someone who uses alcohol or drugs takes an emotional, mental and physical toll, and self-care isn't optional. We offer health and wellbeing days, art sessions, fun events, respite trips, and help people discover new hobbies and interests, online or in their own community.

Who we support
Families and friends, young people, cultural/demographic-specific groups, professionals/sector workers, the wider community, male carers, and military families.

Areas of support
Mental health support, employment & training, family support, peer support & community groups, education.

Where we operate
Newcastle and North Tyneside.

How to get support
Both self-referral and referral routes available. Call the helpline on 01912263440 (9am–9pm, 7 days a week) or visit props.org.uk/get-in-touch.

In their words
"Whole family and community recovery is the hope for everyone. Connection is the key to making it a reality." — PROPS staff member