Vital Fife service marks its 25th anniversary

Drugs, Alcohol and Psychotherapies Limited, better known as DAPL, welcomed dozens of local councillors and dignitaries to its home in Leven on Friday.

People were free to explore the building, learning more about the different services offered by DAPL, such as one-to-one counselling, art therapy and acupuncture.

Patrons Eleanor Bowman and Clive Russell were given the honour of cutting the cake.

The project was launched in 1994 in response to the growing drugs and alcohol problem in Levenmouth.

Since then it has continued to grow, and it now helps around 300 people every week.

“Our organisation started because of drug-related deaths,” explained Martin Denholm, service manager. “We have spent 25 years responding to that.

“Today is a celebration of hope. For every person who dies from a drug-related death, there is someone who does not, through accessing services like ours.

“We started in Levenmouth but we are now a Fife-wide service. Wherever we go, we tailor our service to the needs of the community.

“To see so many dignitaries and people come in – it’s great to see the service users have been acknowledged.”

Mr Denholm said the service has changed “dramatically” over the last 25 years, serving more people and offering a wider range of support.

But what about the future?

“We want to ensure our provision can support the children who become the parents, who become the grandparents,” he told the Mail.

“If there are issues, DAPL will always be there to meet them. We try to make sure we provide a high quality service, with as little waiting time as possible, and that it reaches the people it needs to.

“There will always be a place for organisations like ours.”

For more information about DAPL and the services it provides, visit their website: www.dapl.net/home.