Ealing Council has secured government grants totalling £6 million to support people with addiction until 2025.

Over the next three years, the council will be given £2m to provide continued support to rough sleepers in Ealing and channel an additional £4m towards helping other residents in the borough with drug and alcohol misuse problems.

Councillor Aysha Raza, the council's cabinet member for tackling inequality, said: "This investment will make a long-term, meaningful change. Addiction is a cruel disease that, unfortunately, affects a significant number of people in the borough. Services are dealing with excessive caseloads, particularly since COVID-19, and our hope is that this brings some much-needed reprieve to staff and hope for service users.

"It's sad to see those who are struggling, especially those who want to seek help but have to wait for any length of time. Now, we can take steps to make a difference for them."

With the funding it has secured, the council will continue its partnership work with charities like St Mungo's to help rough sleepers with addiction problems; as well as working with the NHS and the local service provider consortium Ealing RISE.

In a statement Ealing Council published last week it said it will also use the money "to build on some of the successful new ways of working that the partners have found with smaller caseloads and more proactive engagement with addicts".

The council said the money will also help develop "existing services that it supports and provides as well as looking at new ways to offer help and support".

It added: "The additional funding will also support the reinstated drug and alcohol criminal justice team and the work that is done to support the reduction of drug-related deaths."

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Having secured the £6 million government funding available to invest over a three-year period, Ealing Council's cabinet said decided in favour of

The overall £6million investment will be made over a three-year period and was made possible after the council's cabinet decided in favour of the grants earlier this month.