After decades of compassionate service, ODAAT closes its doors

Dear friends and supporters,

After nearly 30 years of successfully supporting men to overcome addiction to drugs and/or alcohol, HOPE worldwide UK, with a heavy heart, has decided to close our ODAAT programme. Because of your compassion for those in need, we knew that you would want details on what motivated our decision.

During the COVID pandemic, government-mandated restrictions resulted in lower numbers of new clients coming into our ODAAT programme. Many local authorities preferred to send clients to facilities that offered both detox and rehab to prevent the clients from needing to self-isolate before transferring from a detox facility to a rehab service.
In June 2023 and August 2023, fires broke out at two of our residential properties. Thankfully, none of our clients were harmed and were promptly relocated while being supported by our amazing staff and volunteers. The forensic reports concluded that both fires were accidents and insurance covered the renovation work.

The impact of these events affected client numbers coming into the programme as well as materially affected the charity’s cash reserves and long-term financial sustainability, leading to the decision to close the ODAAT programme.

ODAAT was started by HOPE worldwide UK in early 1994 as a quasi-residential, abstinence-based rehabilitation programme for men struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.

Since its inception in 1994, ODAAT has helped approximately 750 men, with around 400 graduating from the programme. For many, ODAAT was a crucial step on their path to overcoming addiction, serving as a foundational experience in their journey to lasting recovery.

We would like to say a huge thank you to all our volunteers and staff, whose dedication, compassion and support made such a significant impact on the lives of those seeking to overcome addiction.

And finally, none of the work of ODAAT would have been possible without the amazing generosity and unwavering backing of our supporters. We deeply appreciate you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing this journey with us.

We would just like to leave you with a few testimonial quotes from some of our clients over the years.

“I’m so grateful for ODAAT. God knows I’ve waited so many years. I’m looking forward to being a better son to my father (now in his 80s) and being a proper dad to my children. I want to be able to help others have the chance of recovery that I’ve had”. –John

“The ODAAT recovery programme delivers. It delivered me from my addiction to crack cocaine. I’m maintaining my recovery on a daily basis — yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is here.”
–Peter

“Since getting into recovery and completing the 1st stage of ODAAT’s programme, I now see my daughter regularly. Our relationship has completely changed. I turn up when I’ve arranged to! At first, her mother was very suspicious about my good intentions, but as the weeks and now months have gone by and she has seen the change in me, she now encourages me to see my girl. For the first time in her life, she’s seeing her Dad clean and sober.” –Phil

With heartfelt thanks,

Michael Farrell

CEO, HOPE worldwide UK