April is Stress Awareness Month – an annual campaign dedicated to raising public awareness of the causes, effects and management of stress. This month, we’re focusing on the link between stress and addiction.

You may or may not be surprised to learn that more than half of adults in the UK have either personally experienced addiction or know someone who has, with one in ten personally affected, according to data released last year by Ipsos.

Last year, on behalf of Cumberland & Westmorland Freemasons, we awarded CADAS (Cumbria Addictions Advice and Solutions) a grant of £60,000 to help fund their work which is centred around providing support for individuals, carers, family and friends by promoting recovery in the community.

To mark Stress Awareness Month, we had the privilege of speaking with Louise, the Family Team Leader on the East Family Service at CADAS, to ask her about her work and how the grant is supporting the charity.

Can you tell us a little about what CADAS does?

We support individuals and families (aged 0-65), living in Cumbria, with their mental health, addictions, and substance dependency. We are a health improvement organisation and provide targeted early intervention and recovery programmes that reach the most troubled, disadvantaged, and vulnerable children, young people, adults, and families in our communities.

Our purpose is to prevent and reduce harm by delivering a holistic approach, addressing multiple and complex needs, including the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences. We do this through a range of evidenced based interventions. Our programmes and pathways are tailored to individual needs and local situations.

What is your role at CADAS?

As Family Team Leader, my role is to oversee and deliver family-focused support for parents, carers and children who are affected by addiction within their family. This work often involves supporting families who may be experiencing multiple challenges, including stress, mental health difficulties, parenting pressures, and social isolation.

A key part of the role is working alongside families over a period of time to build trust and help them develop practical strategies to improve family life. This can include parenting support, emotional wellbeing work, one-to-one sessions with children, and connecting families with other services and community support.

We also work closely with professionals such as health visitors, midwives, schools, and social care teams to ensure families receive coordinated support. Our goal is to intervene early where possible, helping families strengthen relationships and create safe, stable environments for children.

What is the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF, the Freemasons’ charity) grant funding and what impact do you hope it will have?

Funding from the MCF helps CADAS deliver vital family support services across East Cumbria. The grant allows families affected by addiction to access one-to-one support sessions, parenting programmes and practical guidance that strengthens family relationships.

For children, the support helps build confidence, emotional understanding and life skills. For parents, it focuses on strengthening parenting confidence, developing healthy routines and improving overall family wellbeing.

Some of the key impacts of the CADAS Family Support Service include:

• Families receive personalised one-to-one support
• Parents build confidence and resilience in their parenting
• Children develop confidence and emotional understanding
• Families access wider support networks and services
• Early support helps prevent challenges escalating into crisis

Why is Stress Awareness Month particularly relevant to CADAS?

Stress Awareness Month is particularly relevant to the work of CADAS as many of the families supported experience high levels of stress linked to addiction, financial pressures, mental health difficulties and parenting challenges.

The service helps families develop healthier coping strategies, improve sleep routines, strengthen emotional wellbeing and build resilience. By encouraging open conversations about stress and mental health, CADAS helps families understand that support is available and that they do not have to face these challenges alone.

The continued support of organisations such as the MCF enables CADAS to reach families who might otherwise struggle to access help, ensuring that parents and children across Cumbria can move forward with greater stability, confidence and hope.

If someone reading this feels they might benefit from your support, how can they access your services?

CADAS’s support services stretch across the whole of Cumbria, and the Family Service, funded by the MCF, is delivered specifically in East Cumbria. For more information, read about the services we offer.

However, anyone across the country in need of a listening ear can contact the CADAS Helpline on 0800 254 5658. It doesn’t have to be a firm commitment to accessing support — you can simply call us for a chat, or email us at contact@cadas.co.uk.