BOLTON will receive a share of more than half a million pounds of funding to help alcohol dependant women leaving prison next year.

Women leaving Styal Prison, Wilmslow who struggle with alcohol dependencies stand to benefit from £532,038 of government funding.

The money is being shared between Rochdale, Bolton, Bury, Salford, and Trafford and in Bolton the women will be referred to the Holding Families initiative.

Bolton Council Leader, Cllr Linda Thomas, said: “Substance abuse not only affects the individual, but also impacts on their family. It can be especially damaging for children and young people.

“We welcome this additional funding which will allow women leaving prison to access additional support at a time when they and their families are most vulnerable."

Charity, Holding Families, currently operates in Bury and Rochdale. As of January it is expanding into Bolton to help fifteen families which have alcohol dependant parents.

In addition, women leaving Styal Prison next year will be referred to Holding Families, with the help of the government fund.

Cllr Thomas said: "Holding Families is one of many ways the Achieve Service is working to address the substance misuse challenges we face in Bolton."

Public Health England's statistics show there are 34,000 adults receiving treatment for alcohol, 480 of those are in Bolton, though it is estimated there are 3,768 dependant adults.

The money is part of a £4.5 million pot from the department of health and social care and the department for work and pensions, managed by Public Health England.

In the north west, £1,159,386 is being split between projects like Holding Families in Knowsley, St Helens and Greater Manchester.

Public Health England is managing the government money. Dr Rebecca Wagstaff, deputy director health and wellbeing at PHE north west, said: “We know that there are around 200,000 children across the country living with a parent with alcohol problems.

"Not only is it tearing their lives apart now, it can often follow them into adulthood and cause endless personal problems.

“There is some fantastic, innovative work taking place across the north west that is helping to tackle this problem daily."