Aberdeenshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership’s Fund to Increase Peer and Recovery Opportunities

ADP is seeking to apply a test of change to the way that it supports groups, making £35,000 available for AVA to manage. The funds will be allocated through an application and participatory budgeting process.

Whilst ensuring the governance of the fund is of a high standard, it is AVA’s aim to make the payments as quickly as possible once the application has been approved and the grant letter has been signed and returned to AVA so that the funding can get to work faster. Ongoing support will be available to groups and organisations who are eligible to apply for the funds, including help with completing the application form. Applications are encouraged from existing and new groups.

ADP in partnership with AVA have created these guidelines on how the fund will be managed and applications processed.

The aim of the fund is to increase Peer and Recovery opportunities for people affected by drugs and alcohol. It will enable individuals, grassroots groups, and community organisations across Aberdeenshire to develop and grow. Applications for delivery in the north of Aberdeenshire will be prioritised in the first instance based on evidence of need.

Applications are welcome as described below:

• Individuals with ideas for peer support and recovery opportunities that will be delivered via a recognised group (support is available for forming a group if required)

• Community-based groups and organisations

Please note the following:

• Applications welcome from un-constituted and constituted groups

• People affected by drugs and alcohol should be the primary beneficiaries of the activities that will be funded

• Groups with financial reserves of more than £2000 of unrestricted funds cannot apply to this fund

• Funds cannot be transferred to a personal bank account. Please discuss this with AVA if you don't have access to a bank account in the name of your group

The following funding levels and governance criteria apply to all applications to this fund:

• Unconstituted groups can apply up to £500

• Constituted groups can apply up to £2,500

Applications will open on Monday 26th January 2026 at midday and will close on Monday 23rd February 2026 at midday. 

There are two stages to the application process. The first is to complete a note of interest in the fund, which you can do by following this link: https://ava.tfaforms.net/f/ADPPeerRecoveryNoteofInterestForm. Once this short form is complete and you press submit, a link will be provided to you for the full application form which is the second stage of the process.

The following list outlines what can and cannot be supported by this fund; it is not exhaustive, and we encourage groups to contact AVA to seek further guidance if applications do not easily fit into one of the categories that we can fund.

We can fund the following:

• Costs of hall/room/space hire for meetings and activities

• Specialised staff session costs

• Volunteer expenses

• Equipment

• Materials e.g. Books and craft type materials

• Transport costs

• One-off event costs e.g. seasonal events, walks, meetings, and celebrations

• Training

• Creating safe spaces

We cannot fund the following:

• Contingency costs, loans, endowment, debts or interest

• Profit-making/fundraising activities

• Statutory activities

• Overseas travel

• Staff costs normally associated with group activities

• Alcohol or other drugs

Once you have submitted your application, you may be contacted by AVA with some questions about your application so that we can make sure that everything that’s needed to assess your application is provided. Fully completed and eligible applications will be considered and decisions made by a panel of peers with lived and living experience of using drug and alcohol services in Aberdeenshire. This is a Participatory Budget process where those with experience of Peer Support and Recovery will decide what should be funded.

Support with understanding eligibility, or with filling in the application form can be provided by contacting AVA. You can do this by accessing our support request form and selecting ‘Recovery Network’ as the subject. The support request form can be found by following this link: https://ava.tfaforms.net/f/AVASupportRequestForm.

All successful applicants will be required to submit a report as to the success of their project, including for example the number of individuals helped/supported, and the activities that have been delivered. You will receive an evaluation form from us to enable you to do this.