The Tackling Drugs Changing Lives Awards recognise, reward and celebrate the unsung heroes on the front-line who are working to tackle drugs and change lives every day.
And Vincent Hessey, a substance misuse practitioner for Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP), is in the running for the award after being nominated for his excellent work.
Vincent is one of a number of people and projects from Merseyside to be nominated for the 2008 awards.
Vincent has seen more than 1,000 people this year alone, helping them to access treatment that could turn their lives around. And in recent years he has helped to educate a further 1,500 people - from doctors to drug workers - in drugs awareness, harm reduction and treatment access.
He also spends his weekends educating young people about drugs.
CWP Drug Service Manager Jane Newcombe, who nominated Vincent for the awards, said:
"Vince will never give up no matter what. His speciality is those individuals others seem hard pressed to help. And although he's employed by a Wirral-based agency, this has not stopped him crossing geographical boundaries in his own time to support people who need help."
Liverpool's Lighthouse Project, which helps substance misusers access health services, and the city's Streetfaith team - a network of faith communities which aims to help drug users access support, treatment and even skills training - have also been put forward for the awards.
And Merseyside Police's Wirral Pier Project, which reached the national final last year, has again been put forward because of its commitment to helping offenders while reducing drug-related crime.
Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said:
"I know that drug workers and drug teams across the country are working tirelessly everyday to tackle drugs and change lives. In fact, I have met many people and teams who deserve to be nominated for these awards.
"These awards recognise their inspirational examples, which will help us to realise our ambition of fewer people starting to use drugs and for our society to be free from the problems caused by illegal substances."
The closing date for the awards is fast approaching, so potential award winners who have not yet applied are being asked to get their nomination forms in quickly.
Two awards are available, one for an individual and one for a team, each winner will receive £10,000 for their organisation to spend on the prevention or treatment of drug misuse.
Anyone can nominate a drug worker or drug team whether they are a friend, family members, colleague or service user. The closing date for nominations is 30 August 2008.
A panel of expert judges, chaired by the Home Office, will choose ten finalists, one from each of the nine government regions plus Wales. Two overall winners will then be chosen - an individual drug worker and a drug team. The winners will be announced towards the end of 2008 at a ceremony in London.
