Women’s rehab centre set up by Amy Winehouse’s family wins national award

A women’s recovery centre in east London founded by the family of Amy Winehouse has won a prestigious charity award and a £10,000 grant for its work in tackling addiction.

Amy’s Place is one of small number of organisations in the UK trying to reintegrate young women into society after they have completed treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.

The centre offers 16 women aged between 18 and 30 a temporary home where they can continue to recover and learn the skills they need to re-adapt to society.

It is run by the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which was set up in September 2011, two months after the singer’s death from alcohol poisoning at the age of 27.

Last week, Amy’s Place was announced as one of five winners at the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) Awards, handed out each year to honour the best grassroots charities and social enterprises across the country.

Amy’s Place triumphed in the addiction support and recovery category.

Its prize, presented at a ceremony in central London, includes a £10,000 grant and promotion of the organisation’s work before an audience of influential politicians, journalists and philanthropists.

Jane Winehouse, the late singer’s stepmother and co-founder of the Foundation, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to receive this award as part of Amy’s legacy.

“We’re extremely grateful to have this opportunity to shed light on the amazing transformations that can be achieved by those young people who have lost hope in this world, if only they are given the right support and the right opportunities, at the right time.

“Too often, young people who are struggling are stigmatised and written off by society, but together we can change that.”

The Foundation’s website says Amy’s Place “addresses the special needs of women who have struggled with substance misuse, which are often more complex than their male counterparts”.

It adds that “women in recovery are often overcoming histories of abuse and trauma and need a safe place to recover before embarking on a new life”.

The Foundation works with Centra Care and Support, part of Clarion
Housing Group, to provide Amy’s Place.

Andy Cook, chief executive of the CSJ thinktank, said: “Amy’s Place has taken off at a crucial time for those on the margins of society, precisely as issues such as drug addiction, homelessness and abuse have come to the fore.

“The charity is to be highly commended for the work it does on the frontline, serving those most in need.

“Above all, the CSJ praises those who work selflessly and effectively to turn lives around and foster hope where previously there was none.”

The CSJ gives out awards in five categories: addiction support and recovery, family support, work and employment, education and social mobility, and crime prevention and rehabilitation.

To find out more about Amy’s Place, head to amywinehousefoundation.org

For more information about the CSJ Awards, visit centreforsocialjustice.org.uk