 Crew
2000 started at the end of ’92. Initially a small
group of drug workers – Willie McBride and June
Taylor – were trying to come up with ideas on how
to contact young people who were using drugs recreationally.
In their research they bought together a group of young
people, some of whom were using drugs recreationally and
controlling their use, who had a large amount of knowledge
which could be useful to other people (see ‘Crew
2000 Peer Coalition in Action’). |
 The
first project was to produce some information quickly
in a form that was relevant – thus ‘Jellytime’
was created, printed and ready for distribution in two
weeks. The Crew circulated copies around clubs, clothes
shops and anywhere where young people met. People wrote
responding to ‘Jellytime’ ordering copies
and we got a huge response from clubbers generally. After
that there was a realisation that this wasn’t a
one-off but that this group had huge potential to develop
the idea of drug users pooling information. So applications
for funding started, at this time the Crew were meeting
in pubs, houses or wherever they could and just had a
couple of hundred quid in the bank |
 Meantime,
Focal Point commissioned Crew to do a joint documentary
on their work called ‘The New Drugs Squad’
(copy available for viewing). This documentary won an
ISDD special award for new innovative ways of working
and presenting drugs information. |
 The
main aims of Crew are outlined in a business plan but
the main need at that time was to have an information
shop that young people could access and that information
could be distributed to young people where they were.
Ideal premises were secured (Cockburn Street) and after
almost a year of red tape, and with a new co-ordinator
and new volunteers, Crew opened in Cockburn Street. |
 At
the end of 1996, just before funding from the Scottish
Office and the Tudor Trust ran out, we got funding from
the National Lottery and more from the Scottish Executive
that secured the project until the year 2000. In 1997
we got also got funding from the Tudor Trust to employ
a third full-time post – Volunteer Worker –
and we are still looking for more funding to be able to
employ more staff to enable Volunteers to take on our
increasing workload. |
 The
Crew were mainly doing talks at youth groups, doing surveys,
and distributing drugs information. ‘Dunt’,
Crew’s leaflet on ‘E’, came out next,
then, to everyone’s surprise, a three year grant
of part-funding came through from the Scottish Office
which changed the whole nature of Crew. A three year plan
was put together and people were invited onto a Management
Committee. |
 In
1997 we transformed Crew into a limited company –
Crew 2000 (Scotland) Ltd –, which means that roles
of people on the Management Committee are clearer. In
1999 we received monies to start a pilot peer support
project this has now developed into eSUS a new service
for stimulant users in Edinburgh which gained funding
in 2002 and nearly doubled Crews staff team at a stroke. |
 The
development of Crew over the last few years demonstrates
the fluidity of it – Crew is shaped by the people
in it at that time and is constantly moving and adapting
to changing needs. |
 But,
for all it’s growth, Crew 2000 remains an independent
and Volunteer/User focussed project dedicated to producing
credible up to date information. |
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