Gilead Foundations is a Therapeutic Community, offering a residential rehabilitation program for people with life-controlling addictions, such as drug or alcohol abuse, homelessness, gambling, eating disorders, self harm, and other addictive behaviours.
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.
Gilead Foundations operates a three-phase therapeutic skills training program for clients ('students'). 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 3 training courses also include work therapy & skills training in various areas such as the farm, dairy, catering, administration & IT, building & maintenance, gardening & horticulture & basic skills such as Numeracy, Literacy, IT, communication, First Aid, Food hygiene & Health & safety etc. GF is registered with City & Guilds & other training bodies, so students can apply themselves to basic & skills training programmes to achieve national certifications such as NVQs etc.
All student live in extended family groups with a couple as house parents & approx 2 support workers.
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.