The Nelson Trust marks four decades of helping people across South West England with recovery and community reintegration.
It began as a rehab center. This center was once The Nelson Inn. Now, the Trust is much bigger.
They run four treatment centers, only for men or women. They also have three recovery houses and five community projects. These projects include Stroud’s Hub Academy and Cheltenham’s Sober Parrot café. Both provide training and work experience for people in recovery.
In 2010, they opened a Women’s Centre in Gloucester to help women leaving prison and supporting women on probation, providing an alternative to jail. Today, they operate nine women’s centers in England and Wales. These centers are in Swindon, Somerset, and even inside HMP Eastwood Park jail.
These centers offer safe spaces for women, helping with homelessness, abuse, and substance use problems, and supporting those in the justice system. They give holistic, gender-specific support addressing trauma. They offer group work, teamwork, art therapy, and EMDR.
The Trust is celebrating its 40th birthday and has planned many events this year, including a Women in Leadership event in June and a Coronation Meadow event. Several fundraising events will support them, such as the Clay Shoot and Dinner in May and the Golf Day in September, with all money supporting the charity.
They started anniversary celebrations online with “40 Stories for 40 Years”, where clients and staff share their recovery stories. Since 1985, they have aided many, helping people recover from addiction, rebuild their lives, and join the community. In 2004, they opened a women’s service to help women with many unique needs.