Festive Support

Check our opening times

Check to see when your closest is hub is open.

Please note that all sites will be closed on 25th December, 26th December and 1st January.

Click Here

Find Resources & Online Support

Find online support, apps and advice to support you over the festive period.

Click Here

Read our advice pages

Read our advice pages on how to keep safe and look after yourself.

Click Here

Medication pickups over the festive period

If you receive supervised medication or regular pharmacy pickups, there will be a temporary change to collection days while services close for Christmas and New Year. Please check the details below to make sure you have what you need.

Weekly Thursday pickups

• Collect on Wednesday 24 December
• Collect on Wednesday 31 December
• Normal Thursday pickups restart from 8 January

Weekly Friday pickups

• Collect on Wednesday 24 December
• Normal Friday pickups restart from 2 January

Monday to Friday pickups

• Last pickup before Christmas will be Wednesday 24 December, with 4 doses to take home to cover you until Monday
• Last pickup the following week will be Wednesday 31 December
• Normal pickups restart from Friday 2 January

Monday to Saturday or Sunday pickups

• Last pickup before Christmas will be Wednesday 24 December, with 2 doses to take home to cover you until Saturday
• Last pickup the following week will be Wednesday 31 December
• Normal pickups restart from Friday 2 January

If you have any concerns

If you are unsure what your pickup schedule is, please speak to your pharmacist as soon as possible so they can support you. Planning ahead helps you stay safe and make sure you have the medication you need over the holidays.

If anything changes suddenly or you find yourself without medication, call NHS 111 for advice.

You deserve to feel supported throughout the festive season. We are here for you when we reopen in January.

Bill, a Wirral Ways volunteer, is assisting a service user inside the Needle and Syringe Programme (NSP) room. Bill is reviewing paperwork at a desk, wearing a Change Grow Live lanyard. The setting includes educational posters and safe disposal bins in the background.

Needle & Syringe Programmes

If you need clean injecting equipment over Christmas and New Year, support is still available. Staying safe matters, no matter what time of year it is.

Some pharmacies will remain open on selected days to provide needle and syringe provision, naloxone and harm reduction advice. Opening hours may vary, so please check directly with your usual pharmacy or visit the NHS pharmacy finder before you travel.

If your usual site is closed, you can:
• Plan ahead and collect before the holidays
• Only take what you need and store equipment safely
• Use sterile equipment every time
• Never share injecting equipment
• Carry naloxone if opioids might be involved

If you have any issues accessing equipment or you are unsure where to go, you can call NHS 111 for local advice.

Order for free online from NSP Direct use access code: 11 69 99 21 22

Order from NSP Online

Drug Driving. The Risks Are Real

by Jacob Jones | 5 December 2025 | Advice, Community, Criminal Justice, Education, Festive Support, Partnerships, Resources, Top Tips | 0 Comments

Choosing to drive after taking drugs can change lives in seconds. Across the last decade, drug driving has become a growing danger on UK roads. Between 2014 and 2023, there was a 70 percent increase in deceased drivers where drugs were present. Young men are...

Festive Events and Safer Night Out Tips

by Jacob Jones | 4 December 2025 | Advice, Alcohol, Drugs, Education, Family & Friends Support, Festive Support, Resources, Spiking, Spotlight, Support, Top Tips | 0 Comments

Nights out are a big part of the festive season. Whether you are heading to a pub, club, gig or house party, it can feel good to celebrate, connect with friends and enjoy a change of routine. You deserve to have fun in a way that keeps you safe. A little planning can...

Safer Use of Benzos, Prescribed or Not

by Jacob Jones | 4 December 2025 | Advice, Benzos, Drugs, Education, Festive Support, Over the Counter Drugs, Prescription Drugs, Prescription Medication, Resources, Support, Top Tips | 0 Comments

Benzodiazepines (often called benzos) can help some people manage anxiety, sleep or withdrawal symptoms. Some people are prescribed them by a doctor, and others buy them from the street. However you use them, you deserve to be safe and supported. During the festive...

Looking After Your Mental Health Over the Holidays

by Jacob Jones | 4 December 2025 | Advice, Education, Festive Support, Resources, Support, Top Tips | 0 Comments

The festive season can bring joy, excitement and connection. It can also bring stress, loneliness, anxiety, grief and pressure. If you are finding things hard right now, you are not alone. Many people struggle with this time of year, especially when routines change or...

Naloxone Saves Lives

by Jacob Jones | 4 December 2025 | Advice, Community, Drugs, Education, Family & Friends Support, Festive Support, Naloxone, Opiates, Resources, Spotlight, Support, Top Tips | 0 Comments

Naloxone is a medicine that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. It works by helping someone breathe again, buying vital time until an ambulance arrives. It is safe, simple to use, and completely free. Carrying Naloxone is an act of care. You do...

Drug Market Changes Around the Holidays

by Jacob Jones | 4 December 2025 | Advice, Drugs, Education, Festive Support, Resources, STI, Support, Top Tips | 0 Comments

The festive season can bring changes to the way drugs are supplied and sold. This can happen for lots of reasons, including travel disruption, dealers changing suppliers, or substances being cut differently to keep up with demand. Even if something looks the same as...

Alcohol Harm Reduction at Home

by Jacob Jones | 4 December 2025 | Advice, Alcohol, Education, Festive Support, STI, Support, Top Tips | 0 Comments

The festive season often comes with more social events, family gatherings and opportunities to drink. For many people this can feel enjoyable, although for others it can bring pressure, cravings or risks that feel harder to manage. You might find yourself drinking...

How to Support Someone Who Is Struggling This Christmas

by Jacob Jones | 4 December 2025 | Advice, Affected Others Support, Community, Education, Family & Friends Support, Festive Support, Resources, Spotlight, Support, Top Tips | 0 Comments

Christmas can be a time of joy and celebration, although for many people it can also be complicated. Loneliness, money worries, strained relationships, low mood, grief and pressure to take part in social activities can all make this time of year feel overwhelming. If...

Where to Get Help in Wirral Over Christmas

by Jacob Jones | 4 December 2025 | Advice, Community, Education, Festive Support, Resources, Spotlight, Support, Top Tips | 0 Comments

Christmas can feel different for everyone. For some people it is all about celebrations, laughter and connection. For others it can bring stress, loneliness, financial pressure, relationship worries or memories that feel difficult. If alcohol or drugs are part of your...

Staying Safer Over the Festive Season

by Jacob Jones | 4 December 2025 | Advice, Community, Education, Festive Support, Resources, Support, Top Tips | 0 Comments

The festive season means different things to different people. For many, it is a chance to relax, catch up with family and friends, and take a break from the day-to-day pressures of life. For others, this time of year can feel complicated. Money worries, loneliness,...

The festive season can feel joyful for some people, although it can also be a really tough time. If you or someone you care about needs support with alcohol, drugs, or your wellbeing while our sites are closed, help is still available.

You are not on your own.

If you need urgent help

Call 999 if there is an immediate risk to life.

If you need urgent medical advice, call NHS 111.

If you are worried about overdose

Carry Naloxone if you can. It could save a life.

If someone is unresponsive:
• Call 999 right away
• Give Naloxone if available and safe to do so
• Place them in the recovery position
• Stay with them until help arrives

More information here.

Local support over the festive period

Some local services stay open or offer crisis support during the holidays. If you need help or advice, contact:

• Wirral Ways – SPOC (out of our hours phone)
Crisis support around substance use
0151 556 1335

• Spider Project
Recovery support and groups (check holiday timetable)
0151 647 7723

• Nightingales Recovery CIC
Peer support and community connection
Check social media for updates

• Sahir House
Support around HIV, sexual health and wellbeing
0151 237 3989

• Ask Us Wirral
Advice and guidance with housing, finance and benefits
0808 278 7848

If you feel alone or need someone to talk to

• Samaritans: 116 123, open 24 hours
• CALM: 0800 58 58 58
• Text SHOUT to 85258 for free crisis text support

Talking can make a difference. You deserve support.

If you use drugs or drink alcohol

Drug supplies can change quickly, especially at this time of year. To help keep yourself and others safer:

• Test before you use if you can
• Go low and go slow
• Avoid using alone
• Stay hydrated and eat
• Make a plan with people you trust

If you notice contaminated drugs, bad reactions, or a positive test strip result, please report it anonymously using our form: www.wirralways.org.uk/report

Looking after yourself

Small things can help you feel more in control. You could:

• Avoid pressure to drink or use
• Recharge by taking a break from busy spaces
• Check in with someone you trust
• Plan your day so you feel safe
• Remember you have choices

We are back soon

Our teams will return after the holiday period and we look forward to seeing you.

If you are already working with us, you can still leave a voicemail or send a message and we will get back to you as soon as we reopen.