Government stumps up £1m to fight problem drinking

Published: 14 February, 2012

The government's commitment to fighting binge and underage drinking has been stepped up today, with £1 million of funding made available for local communities.

Baroness Helen Newlove, the government's champion for active safer communities, said the money will be used to give 10 communities the resources to deal with problem drinking head on.

The announcement comes as Newlove's report to government on Building Safe, Active Communities: Strong foundations by local people, is released. It is designed to go further than the Community Alcohol Partnership programme and build on that structure.

Communities will have to apply for funding demonstrating that they have clear partnership working (led by the local authority), underpinned by a governance board. This board would include representation from the local authority, police authority, health and education services, the local community, local retailers and interested private sector alcohol industry representatives. The bid should clearly identify the issuesin the area and outline a strategy to deal with them.

Newlove said: "We need a new drinking culture in this country. I want to see responsible drinking, so we can rid our streets of drunken violence and intimidation. We need direct, effective action on the ground to make a difference, and make 'sociable drinking' the acceptable norm. This will not be achieved overnight, I realise. But we need to take action now."

Newlove is a community campaigner based in the north west and was made a peer in July 2010. Since the death of her husband Garry in 2007, she has worked to make communities safer.

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