A CHARITY is asking local businessmen and industrialists to dig deep into their pockets to help it give a better service .... and at the same time save money and time.

Drink dependency costs British business a staggering, estimated £2billion a year through long-term sickness, absence, unemployment and premature death due to alcohol.

It is reckoned 14.8million working days are lost each year because of inappropriate drinking.

It costs the National Health Service £l50million a year.

In Bull Street, Burnley, a small office of two professional counsellors and volunteers man Burnley Community Alcohol Service.

Its clients -- with various degrees of alcohol dependency -- come from an area as far afield as Bacup to Barnoldswick and all the major towns.

Fund-raiser and marketing manager, Mrs Linda Crossley, said: "We need contributions towards small pieces of equipment for the centre. We desperately need a fax machine.

"We are very short of room and want the money to divide one large room into two smaller counselling rooms to be able to take on more clients.

"Ideally, we would like to move into larger premises, but would need to raise over £l5,000 to be able to do so.

"Larger premises would allow us to take on more clients and use to the full the services of our volunteers.

"The need for our counselling services is increasing."

In January and February this year they received a total of 706 inquiries, took 107 new clients onto its books.

More than 30 of the new clients are women.

Among that number 31clients realised they needed help and plucked up the courage to go to the centre themselves. A further 17 were referred by their doctors and another 15 by nurses or health visitors.

Volunteers do one-to-one counselling and group sessions., together with a variety of back up courses including stress management and confidence building.

Clients are not banned from having a drink unless they feel it is in their interests not to touch alcohol. The emphasis is on controlling alcohol, rather than letting it control you .

Isolation is a factor in the life of the habitual drinker and the group arranges leisure activities to help clients make new friends and interests.

Anyone willing to support the services of this well used charity can contact Mrs Crossley on 0161-834-9777 or its Burnley office 01282-416655.

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