Gilead Foundations is a Therapeutic Community, offering a residential rehabilitation program, called KEY, for people with life-controlling addictions, such as drug or alcohol abuse, homelessness, gambling, eating disorders, self harm, and other addictive behaviours. Gilead is the Charity that runs alongside the business and training of our umberella social enterprise company, Risdon Enterprises.
Gilead Foundations operates a three-phase therapeutic skills training programme for service users. These include detox, relapse prevention training, various therapies, and help with resettlement back into society. The phases enable the students to deal with the effects of addiction and to begin to take responsibility for their own actions, choices, behaviour, attitudes, personal health & hygiene & daily responsibilities.
The course also includes work therapy & skills training in various areas such as the farm, dairy, catering, administration & ITC, building & maintenance, & basic skills such as numeracy, literacy, IT, communication, first aid, food hygiene & health & safety etc. Risdon Enterprises is registered with training bodies, so service users can achieve national certifications such as QCFs (Qualifications and Credit Framework). They can also progress onto Integrated Training and Assessment (ITAs), e.g. on the items of machinery. Please see our Risdon Training site for more information.
FUNDING
Gilead Foundations receives limited financial support from the authorities for the specialist care that it provides. This means that the Charity had to rely heavily on gifts, bequests, grants and gifts-in-kind to meet its financial commitments. GF is registered with CSCI (Commission for Social Care Inspections) enabling them to work with referral funding agencies.
Although the dairy farm & student fees supply a certain amount of funding the charity, still relies on donations, sponsorship & gifts in kind etc.
BACKGROUND
Gilead began in 1988 when the owners of Risdon Farm, Ian and Bronwen Samuel, felt led to establish a centre to provide life training skills for people in need. A registered charity, Gilead Foundations Charity Limited, was established in 1991 to provide a vehicle under which the Centre could operate.