The Drug Advice Service and Helpline (DASH) has been able to expand its service thanks to a donation of £1,500 from the Collins Stewart Charitable Trust.

DASH is a confidential charity that gives advice, support and information to drug users and their families of all ages across the Island. An important part of the service is the helpline, which provides vital contact and access to help.

The helpline saw new referrals increase by 23 per cent in 2009 and the number of existing clients accessing the service increased by 93 per cent

Shelly Stanley, director of services at DASH, said: ‘We are so very grateful to Collins Stewart for their generous support this year, which has been vital with the increased use of the helpline service.

‘Having someone available at the end of the phone to talk to in confidence, providing on-going help to address the problems with drugs is a service that cannot be underestimated. With help from the Collins Stewart Charitable Trust we have been able to assist 200 individuals who were not previously in contact with the charity,’ said Mrs Stanley.

Head of Collins Stewart in the Isle of Man, Dermot Hamill, said: ‘We have donated funding to seven local charities this year, endeavouring to help smaller causes which may struggle to gain mainstream support.

‘We were drawn to support DASH because of the extended reach the service has in the community. It is not just the users of the helpline that the charity benefits, but potentially their family, friends and employers as well,’ he added.

The Collins Stewart Charitable Trust was set up in 2004, with the aim of helping local charities in the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey, where the company has offices. Since its inception, more than £70,000 has been donated to 49 charities.

For further information on the service provided by DASH, call 615622 or go to drugs.org.im