Service of commemoration recognises the lives lost to overdose

Salvation Army service of commemoration recognises the lives lost to overdose

A special service of commemoration took place in Blackpool on Wednesday, September 2, to remember without stigma the people who have died from overdose.

To contribute to World Overdose Awareness Day, which took place on 31st August, members of the Blackpool community were invited to The Salvation Army to remember loved ones and the people lost due to a drug related death. 

The commemoration service took place at the church and community centre on Raikes Parade at 12:00 pm and all attendees had the opportunity to join together after the service to visit the church’s remembrance garden where refreshments were served and a tulip bulb could be planted in memory of their loved one ready to flower in the spring. A poignant reminder that time moves on but loved ones are never forgotten. 

During the service names were read out of the people being remembered, focusing on the fact that they lived a life and had a name and would be remembered for who they were and not just as another statistic. 

Majors Richard and Jo Thompson, church leaders of The Salvation Army Blackpool held the service and they said: “We hope that our commemoration service provided a meaningful and vital space for people to remember loved ones who have died from overdose, giving an outlet for their grief. Everybody is somebody to someone and remembering them with dignity, respect and without stigma is hugely important.

“Events like this remind us that awareness and compassion are key to not only supporting people going through addiction but supporting the people around them too, their family and their friends, even the wider community in which they live. Everyone can be affected and we stand united with all, bringing awareness and hopefully a future of change in a world where everyone matters.”

Addiction, which can lead to overdose, is linked to underlying social issues such as poor-quality housing, mental health, and social isolation and affects people in many situations and communities, including people experiencing homelessness and people with a history of trauma.

Helping people who are addicted to substances is part of The Salvation Army’s work within the homeless community across Blackpool through its day centre for rough sleepers across the Fylde Coast, The Bridge Project. 

Major Richard Thompson added: “The service was an important time of remembrance and went hand in hand with our homelessness work throughout the town and across the Fylde Coast. Our onsite drop-in for people experiencing homelessness, The Bridge Project, means we have strong in-house expertise around drug addiction and overdose, and we see how the effects can travel to family, friends and the wider community and want to acknowledge the grief that can be left behind.”

This was the third year that The Salvation Army has marked International Overdose Awareness Day with the first service being held in the summer of 2023 and is central to the work of The Salvation Army, which as a Christian church and charity promotes a harm reduction approach to addiction, journeying alongside people with addiction and supporting them to stay as safe as possible whilst minimising risks to themselves and others.

The Bridge Project operates four days a week, Monday to Friday (excluding Wednesdays), 52 weeks of the year from the church on Raikes Parade. Clients have access to showering and laundry facilities, clothing support, telephones, signposting to partner organisations such as housing and the job centre and a hot and healthy meal with a drink.

For anyone wishing to support The Salvation Army Blackpool, donations can be made www.salvationarmy.org.uk/blackpool-citadel.