"It makes all the difference, having someone there that fully understands. 50 years and going strong"

Founded in 1972 by a number of local residents- including Father Denis Bradley, Tommy McCay, Jim McCready, Egder McCormack, Joanne Carlin and many more- The House in the Wells has spent the last 50 years helping those most in need.

The House in the Wells offers accommodation for homeless men with addiction issues. The hostel has 24 hour support.

It is a wet hostel, therefore the model of support is one of harm reduction, whereby controlled drinking is permitted within the accommodation.

Each resident, as part of their support planning process enters into an alcohol agreement with their support worker. They are then monitored and supported as they stay in control of their addiction.

The House in the Wells Senior Manager, Patrick Downey explains: "Not everyone wants to overcome their addiction but we want them to be safe. 

"If someone is living in rented accomodation and they have to choose between their addiction or their rent, they will choose their addiction. This is how many end up losing their homes. Money management is a major problem.

"We are full up at the minute. We do have a long waiting list and we receive four or five referrals a week. 

"The majority of our men, they're not here to get detoxed, they're not here to get help. They're here to control their addiction. 

"If someone needs ten cans a day then we space it out from morning to night. We have their medication and food supply, things they would not normally prioritise.

"The idea is, what they need to manage their addiction, they get but they're also getting their food, their medication and a proper sleep in a safe environment. Doctors and nurses can come out for check ups too. It's all the things they wouldn't get if they were living on their own.

"They can make it a home for themselves. There aren't a lot of places for them to go so there are a few that have been here for quite a number of years. It is down to the individual and what they want and what they need for themselves. 

"A lot of the time, external services ask them to be sober before they can get help. They need to be sober to get help. They wouldn't need help if they could get sober themselves."

The 23 members of staff at The Wells support each resident on their day to day journey as each man has their own personal plan.

The House is mainly to help with alcohol addiction, however, residents have been there with drug addictions and gambling addictions along with their alcohol addiction.

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Patrick continues: "We're not there to tell them to stop, we are there to support them. If they ask for help we can signpost them or provide it. We have support rooms for GPs and councillors so they don't have to go somewhere new.

"We have had a number of people that have come off the drink for various reasons over the years, either by choice or by health reasons, and have gone on to continue to be off the drink. 

"We have even supported people after they have been off the drink for a long period of time. They need continued support. People have come in, got off the drink and gone out to reconnect with their families again, live on their own and get jobs.

"Others will tell you they want to drink until they die and our job is to control it and keep them safe. 

Former resident Tony loved the House in the Wells 

"For people who don't work in the field, it is hard for them to understand anything other than, 'You're an alcoholic, you have to get off the drink,' and people saying, 'No, I just want to drink until I die.' That is their choice."

The House on the Wells opened up The Harm Reduction Unit in 2013 as it was a damp hostel before.

Patrick continues: "People could turn up drunk but they weren't allowed to drink on site. They would have had to go outside for a drink, but we couldn't control that.

"Now the staff are in control of the drink. We administer it to them. It means they can't binge drink and staff have to see them every hour. They'll be told to go for a sleep or get some food if the staff think they are too drunk and they understand it. It works well.

"They don't have to stay in here and drink but there are 24 of them and they have made a wee community for themselves and they are all friends and all get on. We have people from every community.

"They are all in the same boat and all have the same problems; they have all gone through the same things in life.

"It makes all the difference, having someone there that fully understands. It definitely works well. 50 years and going strong." 

The House in the Wells is having their annual BBQ- usually tied in with the Féile- this Friday (August 19) as part of their 50 year celebrations from 1pm to 3pm. The Ulster Orchestra is also going to perform.

They will also be a collection that will run throughout the year. They are collecting for a defibrillator for the scheme with cupcakes on sale and any donations welcome.

Patrick added: "We also just want to give a big thank you to the Gasyard, Brandywell and Bogside Health Forum, Dove House, Pink Ladies and Pink Panthers and many more charities and groups who have become friends of The Wells and give us so much support.

"Also, all the local residents who founded The Wells. It was the kindness of them and many more who gave their time to care for others and made The House in the Wells what it is today."