Our Development
Where we started
ASCERT started its journey back 1998, formed as a community response to concerns about drug misuse in the Lisburn area of Northern Ireland, growing over the years to become a regional service provider.
Initially as a small local organisation with few resources, we focused on awareness raising and building capacity in local communities to understand and respond to substance misuse issues.
In the following years the charity expanded its work into other areas across Northern Ireland. We developed services that focused on community development approaches, education and training and then interventions for young people and families. Over the years we established a broad range of projects and services that have been targeted towards young people, adults and families in the greatest need.
ASCERT is now one of the leading and best known charities addressing drug and alcohol and other related social issues, with services across all of Northern Ireland. We have accumulated an extensive experience of evidence-based service development, planning and delivery across a range of disciplines and provide direct services to more than 10 000 people each year.
Those services are providing support to communities, young people, adults and families and throughout Northern Ireland, helping them to deal with the impact of their own or someone else’s alcohol or drug use or other issues like mental health, suicide prevention or offending. Alongside this direct support, we are the main provider of training services in the areas of drugs, alcohol and suicide prevention, supporting the professional development of practitioners within the statutory and community/voluntary sectors.
We are proud to have a team of highly skilled, professionally qualified practitioners, supporting our services to deliver meaningful outcomes for service users, empowering them to address adversity and challenges in their lives and reducing risks and harm.
