Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP)

Asda's partnership with CAP

Asda has supported CAP since 2009. In early 2024, Asda announced its plan to provide nearly £1million to support Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP), which represents around £300,000 annually. This vital funding will help increase the number of CAPs across the country and expand outreach in key high-harm regions including Scotland, the North East, North West, and South West of England as well as re-starting the CAP programme in Northern Ireland.

The funding has also gone towards CAP commissioning an expert study to inform a proposal for a national programme to advise parents and their children about the importance of an alcohol-free childhood1.

About CAP

CAP sets up and supports local partnerships that aim to reduce alcohol harm in children and young people, improve their health and well-being, and enhance their communities.

Most CAPs work closely with existing leisure and sports facilities, using youth clubs, youth buses and local cafés to provide opportunities for young people to drop in and meet in a supervised, safe environment. As well as enhancing their confidence, health and wellbeing, these activities are also an excellent opportunity to deliver alcohol education in an informal setting.

‍CAP believes that engaging young people in meaningful and enjoyable activities in the company of a positive peer group is an important step in addressing underage drinking and anti-social behaviour. CAP is able to offer grant funding to increase the positive activities available to young people – and often, just a little support can go a long way.

The CAP and ASDA innovation fund: Making good use of Asda’s funding

In 2024, Asda expanded it’s support of CAP to increase the number of CAPs across the country, as well as the scope and quality of the services they provide in local communities.

Following Asda’s donation of £300,000 annually over three years, CAP was able to launch an Innovation Fund – an initiative aimed at empowering young people and promoting positive activities. With Asda’s support, this fund provides up to £5k to local CAPs for projects aimed at diverting young people from harmful behaviors, such as underage drinking and anti-social behaviour.

Case studies: examples of projects that were successful in their funding applications

My Drink. My Choice

The ‘My Drink. My Choice.’ campaign was created by CAP, Cardiff City Council and Cardiff University. It is an ongoing project and is aimed at 18–25-year-olds as part of CAPs work with this older age group.

'My Drink. My Choice.’ aims to promote alternative nights out which are not centered around drinking alcohol and encourages popular nighttime venues across Cardiff to offer more alcohol-free choices on drinks menus. One of the key ambitions of the project is to support a wider culture change to normalise the decision not to drink alcohol.

The campaign was launched at an alcohol-free Drink and Draw night in Cardiff City centre. These events are art events where participants are encouraged to pick up a paintbrush or a pen or pencil and take part in a drawing class.

Edinburgh CAPs

CAPs in Edinburgh have used their Innovation Funding to provide young people at risk of anti-social behaviour with activities such as cookery classes led by local businesses and chefs (which were developed into TikTok videos). They also used some of their funding to paint several underpasses which had fallen into disrepair and were not being used by pedestrians because they felt unsafe. Thanks to Innovation Funding the underpasses have been given a new lease of life and are once again being used by the local community.

Plymouth CAP has used its Innovation Funding to create a Youth Committee. The committee is made up of 10 young people and their involvement will help them gain valuable experience in voluntary youth work.

The committee will be involved with the planning and organising of local events, activities and sessions with the aim of educating children and young people about the risks of underage drinking.

Innovation Funding has also enabled Plymouth CAP to run cooking events for young people during school holidays in Plymouth city centre and to work with a local graffiti artist to transform the exterior of a well-loved community space which is managed by a not-for-profit organisation supporting these young people.

And there’s more….

Many of the projects that have received Innovation Funding are ongoing. Here are some more examples of the exceptional projects that are underway.

Virtual reality headsets for Year 7 & 8 pupils to explore the consequences of drinking as well as a range of other risky behaviours including knife crime (Cumbrian CAPs)
Rowing projects in North Lanarkshire and North Edinburgh
A “Beat Boredom” summer holiday activities programme in Edinburgh;
Workshops and a day trip as a reward for attendance for 20 high risk individuals as part of the “Shackles Off” youth and community group in South Cumberland
A 'Rights Festival' for young people aged 11-18 in the Vale of Glamorgan with the aim of providing information and tools to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people in the county
Funding for the Premier League Kicks programme to provide education around alcohol use, antisocial behaviour and knife crime, which will be rewarded through access to sports and diversionary activity including leisure activities such as football, swimming, lifesaving, rock climbing, gym use/instruction and free match tickets for Chesterfield Football Club fixtures.

For more information on CAP activities visit CAP | Our Mission, Vision and Values