Acceptance for the Addicted

We are pleased to reveal our new tag line: “Acceptance For The Addicted”

Nothing has changed about what we do - we do still consider ourselves a place of sanctuary, and our beneficiaries are still vulnerable. With that being said, we felt like the old tag line didn’t convey what we’re about as well as it could; there are many amazing organisations which could describe themselves as a sanctuary for vulnerable people but fewer that provide acceptance and support for people facing addiction. We want people to have a better understanding of what we do, even from just seeing our logo. We feel that “Acceptance for the addicted” more clearly communicates the specific support we provide.

We chose to use the word ‘addicted’ over other terms like ‘dependency’ or ‘substance users’ for a few reasons. The first being that it is more widely understood - by avoiding jargon we can educate more people about what we do and how we can help. The second being that whilst we recognise that the word ‘addicted’ can carry a lot of stigma - we also know that this is the nature of the beast. Addiction and those affected by it will always be stigmatised. By avoiding using the term ‘addiction’ we can make it seem like it’s a bad word - creating further stigma, when in reality it is the most accurate and widely understood term we can use. While we will always be a sanctuary for vulnerable people, we feel it is important to loudly and proudly say that we provide acceptance for the addicted.

We chose the word ‘acceptance’ to emphasise the approach that makes Ben’s Centre unique. As a damp centre, we are focussed on harm reduction and lowering the barriers that people face to get support. We accept our beneficiaries as they are - we accept the nature of addiction and understand that some people would be unable to access the day centre without consuming drugs and alcohol first.

“Ben's Centre sits on the front line of a very significant and real problem faced by society. As a population we often find it easier to hide from difficult issues with terminology and comfortable wording, but the fact is, working with the addicted (and the barriers and trauma this condition both creates and often masks) is what we do. We accept people where they are and we work to combat the negative effects and the stigma attached.” - CEO Daryl Bishop