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It is with great sorrow that I announce the
death of Alan Joyce.
I first came across Alan when he
started working as a volunteer for the
Methadone Alliance. He popped up on
some of the harm reduction mailing lists,
full of passion for his new role, andwith an
interest in politics and post-structuralist
philosophy.
An ex-art student, Alan had studied
Fine Art at St Martin’s College and had
had a career in the London theatre before
his drug use eventually got the better of
him. He’d been struggling with the
implications of the policies of his local treatment provider when he learned
about the Methadone Alliance, and had Bill Nelles, the Alliance’s founder and
director, advocate on his behalf. It wasn’t long before Alan was volunteering
for the Alliance himself, and then shortly after that he was appointed as senior
advocate, handling the most complex advocacy cases across the UK.
And so, while there’s a lot that I could say about Alan and his interests, his
intelligence and his compassion, I’m going to limit myself to talking about his
work for the Methadone Alliance, because I believe that that’s the area of his
life where he had the biggest impact.
Today, people are used to having access to high quality methadone
treatment, with adequate doses and without arbitrary time limits. Back in the
late ’90s and early ’00s though, the picture was very different. In some areas,
methadone treatment offered just a short break from the chaos before being
reduced to such a level that you were inevitably thrust back into it.
The Methadone Alliance was established to advocate for people to have
access to high quality, evidence-based opiate substitution therapy, and after Bill
Nelles, Alan was probably the most significant figure in building the early
organisation. Just last week, I was in Southport when I ran into a man that Alan
had advocated for in the past. His clinic was threatening to stop prescribing for
him, and Alan had come up to Sefton to advocate on the man’s behalf. Today,
nearly ten years later, that guy was still grateful for the service that Alan provided:
‘My life was about to fall apart. If Alan hadn’t have come up and argued
my case with the clinic, I’d have ended up back on the streets, my relationship
would have split up, I’d have lost access to my kids – I can’t begin to conceive
of what my life would have been like had Alan not intervened.’
His other great strength was finding and recruiting new activists to the
drug users rights movement. After he retired from The Alliance due to ill
health, Alan worked tirelessly for the National User Network, where he served
until his sad demise. But wherever he operated, his passion and his
compassion shone like a beacon – attracting others to the cause, and to his
warm personality. His achievements and reputation in the movement for drug
users’ rights is second to none.
Alan was 52 years old when he died, and leaves behind two children.
Peter McDermott
Bill Nelles adds:
I will greatly miss my friend and colleague Alan Joyce. He was the Alliance’s
first salaried drug treatment advocate, one of the first ‘patient’ advocates to
be awarded the Royal College of General Practitioner’s Certificate of Drug
Treatment, and became an acknowledged expert by experience. After retiring
from The Alliance he became a tremendous asset to the National Users’
Network (NUN). He faced his end with characteristic bravery and passed away
quietly with his family at his side. And I lost a good friend and colleague whom
I will never forget.
ALAN JOYCE
8 OCTOBER 1959 – 4 JUNE 2013
OBITUARY
Letters |
Obituary
10 |
drinkanddrugsnews
| July 2013
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
We welcome your letters...
Please email them to the editor, claire@cjwellings.com or post them
to the address on page 3. Letters may be edited for space or clarity
– please limit submissions to 350 words.
HELP SIGHT
LOSS PROJECT
Researchers from the University of
Bedfordshire, Glyndwr University and
the University of Lancaster have
recently been commissioned (by
Thomas Pocklington Trust and
Alcohol Research UK) to undertake
some exploratory research about
substance use and sight loss. They
are interested in understanding more
about the prevalence and
experiences of those people living
with a combination of both. The
project also seeks to acquire more
knowledge about the nature of
service provision to such individuals.
It is anticipated that the findings
of the project will be able to inform
future policy, research, service
developments and support for those
working within these arenas. The
research team would like to hear
from any service users, carers,
practitioners or organisations that
may have specific experience of
working with the duality of these
subjects, and have information or
direct experiences you may wish to
share.
For further information about the
project, to express an interest in
supporting it or be interviewed for
the project, please contact me on
01978 293471 or
w.livingston@glyndwr.ac.uk
Wulf Livingston,
senior lecturer in social work,
Glynd r University Wrexham
CORRECTION
In our coverage of the debate,
‘Now is not the right time to
decriminalise drugs’, proposed by
Dr Neil McKeganey and opposed by
Steve Rolles, (DDN, June, page 21),
we reported the result of the debate
the wrong way round. The conclusion
should have read: ‘The motion was
defeated by 70 per cent of the
audience to 30 per cent’.
We apologise to the debaters and
all involved.
LETTERS
‘Researchers from the University
of Bedfordshire, Glyndwr
University and the University of
Lancaster have recently been
commissioned to undertake some
exploratory research about
substance use and sight loss.’