|PIC1|Christian drug education charity Hope UK has launched a recruitment drive to bring its total number of voluntary drug educators to 1,000 in the hopes of reaching 500,000 children and young people a year by the end of 2011.

The target will be achieved by recruiting another 800 voluntary Drug Educators to join the 206 already in Hope UK's Programme.

The strategy was launched at the Annual Meeting on Saturday.

Speaking at the meeting, David Tayler, Hope UK Chairman, said it marked a significant milestone in the 150-year history of Hope UK, formerly the UK Band of Hope.

Reaching their target would mean a voluntary drug educator for every part of the United Kingdom, available to churches, children's, youth and parents group as well as schools and any other group that serves young people.

This strategy has been devised with the help of capacity building charity Pilotlight, which arranged for senior business people to offer coaching and mentoring over the previous 18 months.

Hope UK's Educators not only visit groups but also use their skills, taught in a 120-hour Open College Network accredited course, within their own churches and communities.

The charity participated in Pentecost Festival in central London earlier this month, providing interactive alcohol awareness information using 'beer goggles' to simulate drunkenness and asking passers by to perform various tasks. A free test also enabled people to assess their alcohol consumption.

Drug educator Alun Morinan said, "Hope UK is an excellent organisation to work with. The training received and the continuing support shown by the staff for all their volunteers is excellent."

Hayley Teague, also a drug educator, said of Hope UK, "It is an amazing organisation that knows how to look after its volunteers and delivers first class training. They are old hands at the drug education business yet operate with fresh initiative to an excellent, professional standard."