AN ART project aimed at diverting people away from drug and alcohol abuse and into support service has expanded in Merseyside.
First launched in Wirral last year, the We’ve got HeART project uses art to address substance use.
The project is now live across Wirral and Knowsley, with more than 100 people taking part in the project to date.
The project began in 2023 when Constable Diane Park and Inspector Alan McKeon identified that high levels of substance misuse among hostel residents were driving high levels of crime and harm in Birkenhead.
Working with the local drug recovery service and the hostel providers, a group was set up to refer the hostel residents into treatment and address the cause of their offending.
Although this approach led to a reduction in crime and demand in and around the hostel of 60%, there were some residents who remained resistant to working with drug support services.
It became apparent that some of the service users had a talent for art, which was going unnoticed. Diane and Alan saw this as an opportunity to explore using art to reduce and prevent substance use.
Through funding from Project Adder (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery), a national programme of coordinated law enforcement activity to divert people away from offending, the pilot project began, and the first exhibition opened to the public in February 2023 at the Oakland Gallery in New Brighton.
Inspector Alan McKeon, Prevention Hub, said: “In 20 years of operational policing, this has been the most rewarding piece of work I have been involved in.
“It has demonstrated the importance of preventative work to reduce harm in our communities.
“A visitors’ book left in the gallery has received over 200 comments, many from visitors who were suffering with addiction and have now been inspired by We’ve Got HeART to seek help.
“This project has enabled hard to reach offenders to address their substance use which was the root cause of their offending and often problematic behaviours.
2It truly shows the value of prevention and addressing the root causes of problems, not the symptoms of it. In addition, We’ve got HeART has also identified some very talented artists who would otherwise have been overlooked.”
Participants are provided with all the equipment needed to produce a piece of artwork and are given a range of options including pencils, pastels, oil paint, acrylic paint, felt pens or anything else they want to create their artwork.
Workshops take place with local artists, who pass on their skills to participants.
Police officers attend the workshops with substance misuse workers to support the artists in addressing their addictions while exploring their creativity.
The artwork ranges from drawings to paintings, sculptures, poems, and photography.
Since launching in Wirral, the project has now expanded into Knowsley.
The second exhibition went live in July 2024 and featured more than 60 pieces of art from artists across Merseyside.
The ‘We’ve got HeART’ project featured on BBC Crimewatch Live on Wednesday 9 October.
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