Foundation partners with One80 to support young people struggling with substance use

The Bradford City FC Community Foundation, the official charity of Bradford City AFC, has partnered with One80, The Bridge Project’s dedicated support service for young people in Bradford and the wider district who are struggling with issues relating to substance use.

The Bradford City FC Community Foundation visited The Bridge Project's One80 service shall work together to support some of the most vulnerable members of the Bradford community

The partnership will see the two organisations work together to support young people aged 24 and under who may be struggling with the use of substances, including alcohol, cannabis, stimulants or other narcotics. The One80 service is free and confidential, and supports young people within their service with tailored care plans, whilst also supporting their families, schools and other networks through the process.

Ian Ormondroyd, Foundation CEO, said: “We are delighted to be both working with One80, and to support the crucial work they do. We welcome thousands upon thousands of young people on to our projects and programmes every year, and we have a commitment to supporting them on their journeys in life, through the good and the bad. I’d like to thank the One80 team for sharing their experience and expertise with our team, who are now all better prepared to support the young people they work with.”

The Foundation has now pledged to support One80’s work. Yasmin Kauser, One80’s Young Persons Engagement Mentor & Recovery Support Worker, and Ash Northin, Recovery Practitioner, visited the Foundation at the University of Bradford Stadium, to deliver training for all of its staff members. The training covered how to spot the signs of substance use amongst young people, and how to refer them into One80’s system. The Foundation team is now trained in how to support young people affected by those issues across all of its projects and programmes, which last year welcomed over ten thousand people under the age of 24.

Yasmin Kauser (front right), One80’s Young Persons Engagement Mentor & Recovery Support Worker, and Ash Northin (top right), Recovery Practitioner, visited the Foundation at the University of Bradford Stadium, to deliver training for all of its staff members

Laura Bates, Deputy Director of Development & Partnerships at The Bridge Project, said: "We are delighted to team up with the Bradford City FC Community Foundation. This partnership is a natural fit, grounded in our shared values and mutual commitment to improving the wellbeing of young people across Bradford. 

The Foundation runs a wide range of initiatives that build confidence, promote inclusion, and foster a strong sense of belonging among young people—making them a natural partner in our mission to support healthier, more positive lives.

As part of our collaboration, we delivered a workshop to help the Foundation’s team develop confidence in recognising signs of substance use, initiating non-judgemental conversations about the reasons behind it, and making referrals to our One80 service for harm reduction support. We hope the learning from the day will ripple out into the community so more people know that friendly, free support is one phone call or click away." 

To mark the beginning of the partnership, the One80 team attended the Foundation’s recent Potluck event, which was held in support of Refugee Action to mark Refugee Week. One80’s exhibit educated attendees on the varying types of narcotics and their effects. The Foundation team then visited One80, headquartered at The Bridge Project, to introduce the wider team to their work. 

Going forward, the two organisations shall work together to support some of the most vulnerable members of the Bradford community. The Foundation’s staff, who work closely with schools, local community and football development centres, and run regular activities for young people in Bradford including football camps and youth engagement events, now have the knowledge and confidence to spot the signs of substance use, and to refer any young people they are concerned about into the One80 system, to ensure they receive the care and support they need.

More on One80:

One80 is Bridge’s support service, commissioned by Bradford Metropolitan District Council, for young people (aged 24 and under) who live in the Bradford District and are concerned about their use of substances including:

• Alcohol

• Cannabis (including cannabis/THC vapes - many of which contain the drug Spice)

• Stimulants (Amphetamine/Cocaine)

• Club Drugs & Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS)

• Opiates

• Crack

• Nitrous Oxide/Laughing Gas

They also support family members, friends, schools, social workers, and other professionals who are concerned about a young person’s use of drugs and alcohol.

To speak to someone about support for yourself, please call: 01274 745 636.

If you are a professional or a parent making a referral on behalf of a young person, you can do so via their online referral form.

More on The Bridge Project:

The Bridge Project was launched in 1983, with the aim of providing practical support to users of street drugs in Bradford. Their objective is to relieve sickness, poverty and promote social inclusion through the provision of treatment, care, rehabilitation, education and training services to people across Bradford and the wider district.