Rehab Centre Given a Lifeline Thanks to CBILS Loan

Staffordshire-based Burton Addiction Centre (BAC O’Connor) has secured its services during the COVID-19 pandemic following a £150,000 investment.

The centre, which specialises in drug and alcohol rehabilitation, secured the finance from First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans through the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), supported by the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

The funding will be used to secure the facility which has been disrupted by the pandemic, with social distancing measures reducing the number of users able to access its services. This will ensure around 400 service users continue to get the support they need each year to overcome their addictions.

The centre helps people with alcohol and drug addictions through counselling, detox and various support strategies. This carefully-tailored rehabilitation package is often followed by a return to work programme at Langan’s Tea Rooms – an essential part of the recovery process which addresses post addiction employment and provides vital experience to equip service users with life-long skills.

Service users also benefit from a two-year aftercare programme to ensure they receive all of the support needed to overcome their addictions. This has made the centre one of the most successful and recognised drugs and alcohol rehabilitation providers in the UK.

Noreen Oliver OBE, director of the Burton Addiction Centre, said:

“We’ve adapted well to the COVID challenges we’ve faced, but our funding has been hit hard because of the pandemic and restrictions on the number of service users who could use the centre because of social distancing requirements. Despite our success rate, the coronavirus pandemic reduced our income overnight. Coupled with the costs of PPE, we found ourselves needing additional funding to avoid facing uncertainty about the future of the service we provide.

“First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans has been brilliant and the additional funding has been a real lifeline. It will not only help us remain operational during these unprecedented times, but it will also provide the funds we need to purchase PPE to ensure we’re all safe.”

Callum Handley, business adviser at First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans, commented:

“We are delighted to be able to support the BAC O’Connor rehabilitation centre after being inspired by the positive work they do in supporting people to overcome their addictions. They are an important part of the local and wider community and the lifeline and bright future they provide to their service users are fantastic.”

Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire LEP chairman, Alun Rogers, said:

“The BAC O’Connor does a tremendous job and provides an invaluable service to its local community and those who need support the most. The people it serves are overcoming hugely difficult circumstances which the BAC is helping them overcome and can give them the self-esteem and experience to gain employment. The LEP is pleased to see it securing funding through the CBILS to continue its work.”

Rod Whitehead and Helen Sallis at Independent Banking Professionals added:

“We have worked with the BAC O’Connor rehabilitation centre for some years now and it’s been an absolute pleasure acting as brokers for them and assisting them in securing the funding they needed.

“Unfortunately, banks were swamped with applications and their own bank proved unhelpful.  Using our market experience and expertise, we turned to First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans because of their work in supporting social enterprises.  Callum did a great job and we are delighted to have secured the future of the centre by ensuring they remain operational during these challenging times.”

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is managed by the British Business Bank on behalf of, and with the financial backing of, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The MEIF project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the ERDF as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

For more information on the Burton Addiction Centre, visit www.bacandoconnor.co.uk.

For more information on First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans, please visit our Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube social channels.

For further information on the MEIF please visit www.meif.co.uk or follow @MidsEngInv