Wiltshire-based charity Action on Addiction has benefited from a grant of £30,000 from The Freemasons’ Grand Charity to help fund the expansion of its family support programme.

The Moving Parents and Children Together (M-PACT) service, which is for children and families affected by addiction, is part of the charity’s family support hub Families Plus, based at Jill Cunningham House in East Knoyle.

M-PACT is an eight-week intervention programme that takes a unique approach to tackling addiction by bringing several families in similar situations together once a week for group sessions.

A cheque for the £30,000 grant was presented to Jo Adams, the head of Families Plus at Action on Addiction on December 17 at Jill Cunningham House by Peter Winton, deputy provincial grand master for Wiltshire from The Freemasons’ Grand Charity.

Nick Barton, chief executive of Action on Addiction, said: “We are delighted to receive this grant from The Freemasons’ Grand Charity, which will support the vital work done by Action on Addiction’s M-PACT programme.

“M-PACT is a lifeline for young people whose parents are struggling with addiction and it gives them a chance to identify with other children in their position.

“The programme gives children the support they need, while also helping the parents understand the impact their addiction is having. We have already had results to show that the programme is working, with school results improving for some of the children.

“Grants such as these enable us to make a huge difference to the lives of vulnerable children and their families and will help us achieve our goal of making M-PACT available throughout the UK.”

The M-PACT programme shows children of addicted parents they are not alone and that their voice is important by encouraging children and parents to work together and separately with four specially trained facilitators on a variety of activities and tasks.

Mr Winton said: “The Freemasons Grand Charity is dedicated to supporting organisations such as Action on Addiction, which repeatedly demonstrate innovative ways of helping the people they seek to assist.

“Freemasons in Wiltshire are community minded and therefore we are delighted that we can provide this support for local children and their families.”