Russell Brand launches alcohol recovery fund

Actor and comedian Russell Brand has launched a fund to help those recovering from alcohol and drug addiction.

Russel Brand has launched the Give It Up Fund to help recovering alcoholics integrated back into their communities

Brand recently announced that he has set up the Give It Up Fund, which is managed by Comic Relief, to aid those leaving alcohol and drug rehabilitation centres to reintegrate into their local communities.

“It’s integral that people entering a life of abstinence after the chaos of addiction have stability, support and a role to play in the wider community,” the British Forgetting Sarah Marshall actor told the PA.

“With this fund, we have the opportunity to perform a kind of social alchemy, turning hapless – often smelly – junkies into helpful busy bodies, pottering about and contributing.”

The fund will go towards helping people afford housing, find a job, and pay for support and socialising, as well as any additional medical needs.

Charity Comic Relief will also be awarding grants of up to £5,000 to groups run by people recovering from addiction, as well as various other organisations.

Three pilot schemes will initially launch to manage “recovery communities”.

Gilly Green, head of UK grants at Comic Relief, said: “We’re looking forward to finding out more about the potential of recovery communities through these pilots and hearing more inspiring stories about how they can help people to recover from addiction.”