Kaleidoscope in Wales & England helps people with Drug, Alcohol & Mental Health issues. https://linktr.ee/kaleidoscope68 HarmReduction is key.
Kaleidoscope in Wales & England helps people with Drug, Alcohol & Mental Health issues empowering them to achieve change together.
11/02/2026
Kaleidoscope’s Director of Clinical Services Kate Mcdougall, Mick Bird, Vinnie Condron and colleague Katy Holloway all feature in this Channel 5 news piece on the recent Welsh Government evaluation of long acting injectable buprenorphine.
This vital evaluation highlights positive personal and systemic outcomes and an evidenced return on investment.
Watch here 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
► "Drugs were my solution... Buvidal takes that all away"After 30 years on he**in, Mick says being treated with Buvidal has allowed him to move on with his l...
11/02/2026
As the largest third sector provider of long acting injectable buprenorphine in Wales, we are pleased to read the published evaluation released yesterday by Katy Holloway and colleagues, calling for continued and equitable funding that will enable us and health board colleagues to offer this vital medication.
LAIB has undoubtedly changed the lives of so many - offering greater choice, improving outcomes and reducing stigma.
Thank you to our staff, external stakeholders and our people in treatment for taking the time to offer their insights.
Read the full research here:
Mick is one of our incredible Peer Volunteers at GDAS - Gwent Drug and Alcohol Service. Although based in Newport, he travels across the UK delivering naloxone training and vital harm reduction support, helping save lives and empower communities.
For the last two Christmas', Mick helped organise and run a Christmas Day meal for people who needed somewhere warm, safe, and welcoming. He also works closely with our Board Trustee, George Charlton , to train people across the UK in administering naloxone, a commitment that saw him named Runner-Up for the “Keeping People Safe” Award at our 2024 Awards.
This year has been a busy one for him:
✨ He has facilitated a SMART Recovery group supporting people using alcohol and crack co***ne.
✨ He trained local police officers in Naloxone Nasal Spray (Pebbles) administration.
✨ He has been working within Newport Police Custody to support harm reduction strategies and improve outcomes for people in crisis.
We’re deeply grateful for Mick’s dedication, empathy, and leadership. His journey is proof of how lived and living experience can transform communities, and save lives.
fans Mick Bird
05/02/2026
🌟 Meet Michael, one of the amazing peer volunteers at GDAS - Gwent Drug and Alcohol Service in Newport 🌟
Michael brings incredible strength, compassion, and lived experience to the GDAS hub in Newport. After overcoming his own challenges with drug and alcohol use, he now gives back by supporting others on their recovery journey.
As a Peer Volunteer, Michael helps run the drop‑in service, breakfast club, and naloxone training. He’s also shared his story through media interviews, using his voice to break stigma and inspire hope.
💬 “I now volunteer with GDAS, supporting people who are still using drugs and alcohol, helping them with their recovery. I deliver naloxone training with other peers. Recovery for me is having a sense of purpose back, it’s the best thing I did. I got my life back.”
We’re grateful for people like Michael, whose honesty, courage, and commitment make recovery visible and possible. 💛
fans
03/02/2026
👋🏻 Meet Linda, Peer Mentor at Cyfle Cymru Powys.
Linda’s journey is a powerful example of how lived experience can transform lives, not just our own, but the lives of others. After overcoming challenges with drug and alcohol use, she began volunteering as a Peer in Kaleidoscope Powys. Her dedication and compassion led her to employment with Cyfle Cymru as a Peer Mentor, where she now supports others using her insight, empathy, and lived experience.
Linda has shared her story through media pieces, helping to reduce stigma and inspire hope for those still on their journey.
💬 “I never thought I’d be living the life I do now, as a Peer Mentor. I owe that to Kaleidoscope & Cyfle Cymru. To be helped by a person with lived experience was a life changer for me. I felt heard.”
We’re proud of Linda and grateful for everything she brings to our community. Her story shows the power of peer support, and the possibilities that come with hope, understanding, and the right support.
fans
02/02/2026
February marks LGBT+ History Month in the UK.
This year’s national theme, Science & Innovation, highlights pioneers and recognises the incredible impact of LGBT+ people across scientific fields.
But this theme also invites us to reflect on how science has not always been used fairly. LGBT+ identities were historically pathologised and medicalised, causing deep harm and exclusion, many communities are still working to undo today.
🔬 Science today paints a very different picture.
Research shows the real effects that stigma, discrimination and minority stress can have on health and wellbeing, including the way some LGBT+ people may use alcohol or drugs to cope. Understanding these factors is essential to treatment services that are safe, person-centred respectful and genuinely effective.
At Kaleidoscope, innovation means putting people first.
~ Evidence based, trauma informed support
~ Inclusive, judgement free spaces
~ Approaches shaped around every individual’s identity and experience
~ Recognising the role of social stressors in drug and alcohol use
~ Championing equitable access to support for LGBT+ people
This month, we celebrate LGBT+ innovators of the past and present, and we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that modern science and compassionate practice work hand in hand to improve lives, not limit them.
You’re welcome here. Your identity matters.
01/02/2026
Data shows us that drug related deaths are rising, with stark inequalities by region and deprivation.
This Black History Month 2026, we renew our commitment to ensuring that lifesaving support, from naloxone to treatment access, is available and inclusive for all.
After more than 20 years of dedicated service, today we honour an unsung hero who has been a constant source of calm, reliability, and quiet strength. Jane’s commitment, compassion, and steady presence have shaped so many moments and supported so many colleagues along the way.
Thank you, Jane, for everything you’ve given to Kaleidoscope. Your legacy lives on in the people you’ve supported and inspired.
Wishing you the happiest and most fulfilling retirement, you’ve more than earned it. 💛✨
29/01/2026
Ketamine: an updated review of use and harms
Following a 2025 government commission, the ACMD has carried out a review of the use and harms of ketamine.
Following a 2025 government commission, the ACMD has carried out a review of the use and harms of ketamine.
28/01/2026
We were pleased to welcome the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Sarah Murphy, to see the vital work underway to support people affected by ketamine use.
The visit highlighted the importance of early intervention, prevention, and partnership working in responding to ketamine related harm across Cardiff and the Vale.
We would also like to thank those with lived experience who shared their experiences during the visit. Their input was vital in helping inform service development.
27/01/2026
Thanks Rhyl Journal for sharing on our launch of The Beacon last week, partnering with The Salvation Army
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Kaleidoscope Project has been running since 1968 and originated in Kingston-Upon-Thames. It was originally a nightclub that opened after the pubs in the area closed with the aim of giving young people a place to go, socialise, and get something to eat whilst reducing the levels of fighting and violence in the area after hours.
Over the years, Kaleidoscope Project has developed into the service it is today. We operate throughout Wales and in several counties in England providing substance misuse treatment. We support individuals through recovery from addiction as well as offering advice and support to their families.
We offer help at every stage of recovery and can provide a wide range of recommendations and treatments from self-help and bibliotherapy materials to residential treatment at our 20 bed facility in Birkenhead, Merseyside.
At Kaleidoscope Project, we believe that harm reduction is key.
