Cumbria Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service

What Cumbria Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service does

Cumbria Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service (CADAS), operated through CADAS Limited and registered charity No. 1002201, is a Cumbria-based addiction support charity delivering services from offices in Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness, and Kendal, with drop-in coverage across Workington, Penrith, Ulverston, Millom, and Maryport. Its service portfolio centres on a weekday freephone helpline (0800 254 5658) and includes adult 1-2-1 therapeutic sessions, peer support groups, family and friends services, gambling support, young people's school-based workshops, and a paid Employer Services line, alongside named programmes such as Stop the Start (vaping education for ages 11-17), No Pain All Gain (pain Café in partnership with Flippin' Pain), Bereaved by Addiction, Wellbeing Walks, and Work Well (delivered with NENC ICB's Work Well North).

The organisation has no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is human-mediated through counselling, peer groups, workshops, and helpline support, with online peer groups delivered via video conferencing and outreach via Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Around 70% of trustees and staff are personally affected by their own or someone else's harmful addictions, which underpins a lived-experience operating model that the organisation describes as its central differentiator. Pricing for individuals and families is free; Employer Services (workplace training and employee support) are the explicit paid offering.

CADAS is funded predominantly by grants from UK public bodies — chiefly Cumberland Council, Westmorland & Furness Council, and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities — supplemented by donations and the paid Employer Services revenue line. The go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer reach (helpline, drop-ins, online groups) with partner-sourced referrals (NHS/ICB, schools, employers, community organisations). The legal entity is privately held and not publicly traded.

Name

Cumbria Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service

Legal name

CADAS Limited

Website

https://cadas.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CADAS is a Cumbria-based registered charity (No. 1002201) delivering free, lived-experience-led addiction support — including a helpline, 1-2-1 therapy, peer groups, family services, school workshops, and paid employer training — to individuals, families, young people, schools, and employers across Cumbria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Addiction Recovery Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAO

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGACAE

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDALAFAE

Substance Use Prevention & Recovery Services

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Student Health, Counseling & Wellness Services

Keywords

• Addiction recovery services
• Substance abuse support
• Family support services
• Youth prevention programs
• Employer wellbeing training

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlisle

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Grants and Funding: CADAS operates as a registered charity (No. 1002201) funded through grants from government bodies and councils. Key funders include the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities via Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness Councils.
2. Donations: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations to support addiction recovery services across Cumbria.
3. Paid Employer Services: CADAS offers paid services to employers including professional training and workplace support related to addiction awareness.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CADAS is a registered charity providing free, confidential alcohol, drug, and gambling addiction support across Cumbria through adult recovery services, group support, family and friends support, young people's services, and a helpline. It also delivers paid training and workshops to employers and schools to address substance-related harm in workplaces and education settings.

Product overview

CADAS (Cumbria Addictions: Advice & Solutions) is a registered charity offering a comprehensive portfolio of addiction support services across Cumbria. The organisation provides a single integrated service model centred on its core Helpline (0800 254 5658) which serves as the entry point to one-to-one therapeutic sessions, peer support groups, family support, and professional training. The service portfolio includes specialised programs such as Stop the Start (vaping education for young people), No Pain All Gain Pain Cafés, Bereaved by Addiction support groups, and Wellbeing Walks. Additional offerings include gambling support, young people's workshops delivered in schools, and employer services. The organisation is structured as a single unified service with multiple delivery channels rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, providing wraparound support from prevention through recovery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Stop the Start: A project aimed at educating young people about vaping and supporting those who already smoke or vape, offering workshops and intervention sessions for young people aged 11-17 in Cumberland.
• Young People's Workshops
• No Pain, All Gain
• Bereaved by Addiction
• Work Well

Products and services

• Adult Recovery Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Free services available across Cumbria with no charge to individuals

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Work Well North (NENC ICB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCADAS partners with Work Well North to deliver wellbeing-focused interventions including drug and alcohol recovery sessions and health promotion awareness campaigns. This service targets working age adults with long-term health conditions in the North Cumbria locality footprint.
• Flippin' PaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with healthcare professionals and Flippin' Pain to promote safer, more effective pain management approaches through biopsychosocial support. CADAS delivers Pain Café sessions and intensive one-to-one support as part of this initiative.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Change Grow Live: Change Grow Live is the largest UK voluntary sector provider of drug and alcohol treatment services, delivering community-based recovery support nationally. It is a direct competitor for the same Local Authority grant contracts that fund CADAS in Cumbria.
• Turning Point: Turning Point is a major UK social enterprise delivering integrated substance use, mental health, and learning disability services. It is a comparable incumbent bidding on the same Local Authority and NHS England contracts as CADAS.
• We Are With You: We Are With You (formerly Addaction) is a national UK charity providing free drug, alcohol, and mental health support across hundreds of services. It competes with CADAS for council-commissioned recovery contracts and shares a similar community-led, lived-experience ethos.

Direct peers

• Adfam: Adfam is a UK national charity specifically focused on supporting families affected by drug and alcohol use. Its family-focused support model closely mirrors CADAS's Family and Friends and CADAS Family Service offerings.
• Phoenix Futures: Phoenix Futures is a specialist UK charity providing residential and community-based recovery services for people affected by drug and alcohol dependence. Its community recovery and family support portfolios directly overlap with CADAS's Adult Recovery and Family Services.
• The Forward Trust: The Forward Trust delivers drug and alcohol recovery, employment, and wellbeing services across the UK, including community-based recovery and family support. It is highly comparable to CADAS in service mix and target populations.
• Humankind (formerly DISC): Humankind is a UK charity providing drug, alcohol, and wider wellbeing services across the North of England. It is a direct competitor for North Cumbria and surrounding council contracts and shares CADAS's community-based recovery model.

Emerging players

• GamCare: GamCare is the UK's leading provider of information, advice, and support for anyone affected by gambling harms. It is directly comparable to CADAS's Gambling Support Services line and operates a national helpline and treatment network.

Others

• Talk to Frank: Talk to Frank is the UK government's national drug helpline and information service for young people and parents. It is comparable to CADAS's Young People's Workshops and helpline as a referral channel and information resource in the same space.
• UK Addiction Treatment Group (UKAT): UKAT operates a network of private residential rehab clinics and community recovery services across the UK. While commercial in nature, it competes with CADAS for clients seeking structured alcohol and drug recovery support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cadascumbria1
• Instagraminstagram.com/cumbriacadas
• TikToktiktok.com/@cadasuk
• Xx.com/cadascumbria
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cumbria-alcohol-and-drug-advisory-service

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cumbria Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service