Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs

What Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs does

Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs is a Glasgow-headquartered, Scotland-wide charity (registered Scottish charity SC034737, company limited by guarantee SC345289) founded in 2003 to support anyone in Scotland affected by a family member's, friend's, or loved one's alcohol or drug use. Its core product suite comprises the free national helpline (08080 10 10 11), webchat, local in-person support services in four regions (East Dunbartonshire, Forth Valley, Fife, Inverclyde), the national one-to-one Ripple Family Support Service, a Bereavement Support Service, the Click-and-Deliver naloxone harm-reduction programme, and an information-rights service (My Family My Rights, Routes). Surrounding these direct services are a Learning Hub of structured training courses (CRAFT, Family Inclusive Practice, Overdose Awareness and Naloxone, Bereaved Through Substance Use), The Family Recovery College, the Family Recovery Initiative Fund grant programme, the 'Life with Alcohol and Drugs' podcast, and the A Wee Nudge media toolkit.

The underlying technology is intentionally minimal: a public website (sfad.org.uk) with webchat, online naloxone ordering, donation processing via Stripe (with JustGiving and PayPal as secondary processors), Vimeo for video hosting, Spotify for the podcast, and Google Analytics for traffic monitoring. There is no proprietary platform, app, or AI/ML system disclosed; all service delivery is human-led. Distribution combines a single national phone/web front door with regional face-to-face delivery and digital self-serve resources.

The organisation operates as a non-commercial third-sector entity with a freemium model in the sense that all beneficiary-facing services are provided free of charge. Income is generated entirely through donations (individual giving, charitable trusts, corporate supporters), in-memory giving, grant funding (e.g., the ALLIANCE Self Management Fund), and fundraising events such as the annual Celebrating Families Week and 26 Million Step Challenge. Customer-facing segments are horizontal — families across Scotland — while funding counterparties are a diffuse mix of donors, trusts, and grant-makers, with no enterprise anchor clients.

Name

Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs

Legal name

Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs

Website

https://sfad.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs is a Glasgow-based national Scottish charity, founded in 2003, that provides free helpline, local, bereavement, and naloxone-based support to families affected by someone else's alcohol or drug use across Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Family Support Services for Substance Use

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Family support services
• Substance use helpline
• Bereavement support
• Harm reduction services
• Family recovery education

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow, Scotland

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a registered Scottish charity (SC034737), the organization relies primarily on donations from individuals, charitable trusts, and corporate supporters to fund its support services and operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs is a Scottish national charity providing free, confidential support services for families affected by someone else's alcohol or drug use. Core offerings include a telephone helpline, regional face-to-face local support services, bereavement support, one-to-one Ripple Family Support, online naloxone kit delivery (harm reduction), and the Learning Hub delivering training courses such as CRAFT, Overdose Awareness, and Family Inclusive Practice.

Product overview

Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs operates as a national charity offering a coordinated suite of support services for families affected by someone else's alcohol or drug use. The core offering centers on the Helpline (telephone support), Local Support Services (regional one-to-one and group support in East Dunbartonshire, Forth Valley, Fife, and Inverclyde), the Ripple Family Support Service (national one-to-one support), Bereavement Support Service, and Click and Deliver Naloxone (online harm reduction service). Supporting these direct services are the Learning Hub (training programs including CRAFT, Overdose Awareness, and Family Inclusive Practice), The Family Recovery College (educational programming), Routes (information portal), My Family My Rights (rights-focused support), and Family Recovery Initiative Fund (grant program). Additional offerings include the Life with Alcohol and Drugs Podcast and the A Wee Nudge Media Toolkit for responsible reporting. The organization also runs annual campaigns including Celebrating Families Week and the 26 Million Step Challenge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Helpline Free and confidential telephone helpline (08080 10 10 11) providing information, advice, and listening support for anyone in Scotland affected by someone else's alcohol or drug use.
• Local Support Services Regional one-to-one and group family support services delivered face-to-face in East Dunbartonshire, Forth Valley, Fife, and Inverclyde.
• Bereavement Support Service Specialized support for families who have lost a loved one due to alcohol or drug use, including counselling referrals.
• Ripple Family Support Service National one-to-one family support service providing personalized guidance and support to families across Scotland.
• Click and Deliver Naloxone Online service for ordering naloxone kits for delivery as part of the organization's harm reduction programme.
• Learning Hub Training Courses Online learning platform offering structured training courses including Bereaved Through Substance Use, Facilitating a Support Group, Introduction to Supporting Families, CRAFT Training, Family Inclusive Practice, and Overdose Awareness and Naloxone training.
• The Family Recovery College Educational programme providing structured learning and development for families affected by alcohol and drug use.
• My Family My Rights Information and support service focusing on family rights in relation to loved ones affected by substance use.
• Routes Information portal providing guidance and pathways for families navigating support services.
• Family Inclusive Practice Training and practice framework promoting family-inclusive approaches in services supporting those affected by substance use.
• Family Recovery Initiative Fund Grant programme supporting families and community initiatives focused on recovery.
• Life with Alcohol and Drugs Podcast Podcast series sharing stories and information about living with alcohol and drug use issues, available on Spotify and other platforms.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Orkney Alcohol and Drugs PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2026Partnership for naloxone pop-up events in Orkney as part of International Overdose Awareness Month 2026 campaign, delivering free naloxone training, information, and kits to remote communities.
• Right TherecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2026Local partner for Orkney naloxone pop-up events, working alongside Scottish Families to deliver harm reduction services in Orkney communities.
• MareelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2026Venue partner for Shetland naloxone pop-up events, hosting community outreach and naloxone distribution at their Lerwick arts venue.
• Shetland Community Connections ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2026Local partner for Shetland naloxone outreach, collaborating on community events across multiple Shetland locations including the Shetland Recovery Hub.
• WithYou (Dundee)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Local partner in Dundee bringing families together for wellbeing events during Celebrating Families Week 2026, including breakfast and mindfulness sessions.
• Hillcrest Futures Adult Drug and Alcohol ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Hosted a family picnic at Baxter Park in Dundee welcoming over 50 people, providing peer support and connection opportunities for families affected by substance use.
• Humanising HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Partnership to deliver the Stigma & Kindness workshop at Glasgow University, exploring how stigma impacts families affected by substance use and promoting compassionate practice.
• Scottish AutismminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Collaborated on a Connect, Learn & Share session in Forth Valley to discuss support services for families and how to make services more inclusive for neurodiverse families.
• Know the ScoreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlternative support service recommended when Scottish Families advisors are unavailable. Provides specific support until SFAD advisors can respond.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Turning Point: Large UK health and social care provider offering drug and alcohol services alongside mental health and learning disability support. Adjacent to SFAD's individual-treatment side.
• Change Grow Live: National UK charity providing drug and alcohol, criminal justice, and wellbeing services. Overlaps with SFAD on family-inclusive work but is significantly larger and broader.
• With You (formerly Addaction): One of the UK's largest substance use treatment charities, providing individual-focused support across England and Scotland. Broader in scope than SFAD but overlapping on family-inclusive practice.

Direct peers

• DrugFAM: UK charity providing helpline and bereavement support to families affected by a loved one's drug or alcohol use. Overlapping service model (helpline, bereavement, family support) makes it a strong direct peer.
• Adfam: UK national charity that supports families affected by drug and alcohol use, including helpline, local services, and policy work. The closest direct analogue to SFAD, though operating across England/Wales rather than Scotland.
• FAVOR UK (Families for Addiction Victory & Overdose Reform): UK-wide family-focused charity advocating for families affected by addiction and overdose. Comparable advocacy and family-support orientation, with policy and family-voice focus.
• Al-Anon Family Groups UK & Eire: Mutual-support fellowship for families and friends of alcoholics, offering peer-led group support. Comparable in family-affected-by-addiction mission, with a self-sustaining volunteer model.
• NACOA (National Association for Children of Alcoholics): UK charity supporting children and families affected by parental alcohol use, offering helpline, information, and resources. Directly comparable in mission and family-focused support model.

Regional players

• Scottish Recovery Consortium: Scottish recovery-focused umbrella body connecting lived-experience recovery organisations. Comparable Scotland-only scope and recovery community focus, though more network/advocacy than direct service.

Emerging players

• SMART Recovery UK: UK provider of mutual-support meetings and family-and-friends program for those affected by someone else's addictive behaviour. Overlaps in evidence-based family support and CRAFT-adjacent training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/scottishfamilies
• Facebookfacebook.com/ScottishFamiliesAffectedByDrugs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scottish-families-affected-by-drugs

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs