Staff at a new residential rehabilitation centre in Aberdeenshire say it will help people suffering from addiction to turn their lives around.
Rae House, in picturesque countryside near Alford, was officially opened by First Minister John Swinney on Wednesday.
The 27-bed facility, run by Phoenix Futures, started to welcome residents in January, and is already half full.
The new service offers a drug and alcohol-free environment and structured support for men and women.
Stephen Kennedy, residential centre manager at the charity’s Glasgow centre, has been up in the north-east for the past few months helping set up the new base.
He said the facility will be “amazing” for people suffering from addiction in the region.
It uses a peer-led method in its recovery programme, along with activities such as tree-planting and nature conservation in the grounds.
Community members spend their first few weeks in the “welcome house” stage while they settle in for a full programme up to six months.
A second phase follows a “Dayhab” model where people live in separate accommodation but come together in Aberdeen.
This is expected to provide up to 200 placements a year.
Mr Kennedy said: “It’s going to give them back a quality of life they never had. It’s going to give their families back their parents, their kids, their brothers, their sisters, their aunts, their uncles.
‘Chance of a lifetime’
Justin Taylor has also been helping to set up the new facility, after having completed the programme at another facility in Glasgow last year.
Now sober, the 46-year-old was referred after years of suffering from alcohol addiction.
He said: “It’s the chance of a lifetime for people to come and experience this.
“We’ve had people coming up from the Glasgow service who are still residents there and they love it.
“It’s a beautiful place, beautiful environment, to be coming to.”
Mr Swinney toured Rae House and met with residents to hear about their experiences.
The service is funded by the Scottish Government who have invested £11 million into the north-east service to address geographic barriers.
He told the P&J it’s clear the facility can have a “transformative effect”.
His visit to the north-east comes just a day after figures from Police Scotland revealed suspected drug deaths in Scotland fell by 11% during 2024.
A total of 1,065 suspected drug deaths were recorded – 132 fewer than in 2023.
The first minister admitted the figure was “still too high” although described the new data as “encouraging”.
He put this down to more residential rehabilitation places being available.
Mr Swinney said: “These interventions and that focus is undoubtedly saving lives and that’s very welcome.”
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