CASH AWARD FOR FAMILY SUPPORT ORGANISATION

Added: (Fri Mar 01 2002)

Pressbox (Press Release) - London, 28 February 2002 - A family support organisation for drug misusers and their families in Northumbria, ESCAPE (Education, Support, Counselling, Advice, Phone-line and Empathy) will be one of only ten UK charities to be awarded £25,000 at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) International IMPACT Ceremony held in London on 28 February 2002.

ESCAPE has been recognised for the demonstrable impact it has made on the health of its local community. It aims to provide support, counselling and educational information for families and carers of substance misusers so that they can alleviate the problems experienced and the distress caused by inappropriate substance misuse.

ESCAPE has adopted a holistic approach by helping substance misusers and their families, via a 24 hour helpline, home visits, counselling group therapy, complementary therapies, respite breaks, a rapid detox programme and relaxation therapy as well as diversionary activities such as art and craft and literacy and numeracy coaching.

Ms Murphy, founder of ESCAPE says: “We are thrilled to have won the award. It will make an immense difference to our funding. We will be investing it on the appointment of a new business development manager to ensure the continued sustainability of ESCAPE.”
The International IMPACT Awards, now in their fifth year, are run by GSK in partnership with the King’s Fund, a leading independent health charity. The awards reward small-to medium-sized registered charities with a proven track record in community health care. Nine other UK charities receive £25,000 while ten highly commended projects receive £1000. The scheme is running concurrently with a sister initiative in Philadelphia, USA, which is the US headquarters of GlaxoSmithKline.

Claire Hitchcock, Director, Global Community Partnership, Europe and International, GlaxoSmithKline comments: “We are delighted to support the outstanding work undertaken by these community based UK healthcare charities. The charities have demonstrated that despite the constraints of their size they can make a dramatic difference to those in need within their community.”

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Issued by Prowse & Co on behalf of GlaxoSmithKline

For more information please contact:
Vicki Fletcher / Deborah Fields, Prowse & Co, 01372 363386 or e-mail
vicki@prowse.co.uk or deborah@prowse.co.uk


Editor’s notes

Photographs of each of the winning organisations are available on request.

The international IMPACT Awards play a significant part in GSK’s Global Community Programme which aims to support the company’s commitment to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.

The acronym IMPACT devices from the criteria that winners must have demonstrated: Innovation, Management, Partnership, Achievement, Community Focus and Targeting Need.

In the UK GSK has a continuing programme of charitable activities, which places special emphasis on scientific education and medical research. In addition, GSK seeks to fund initiatives for improving healthcare in the UK and supports a variety of projects in the visual and performing arts, as well as the environment.

As one of the world’s leading research based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, GSK is dedicated to delivering innovative medicines and products that help millions of people around the world live longer, healthier and happier lives.

For company information visit GlaxoSmithKline at www.gsk.com

News release is available online at http://www.prowse.co.uk/newsf.html
Photographs are available on request