Renowned for her album “Back to Black,” Amy Winehouse skyrocketed to fame in the early 21st century as a British singer. Shortly afterward in 2011, Winehouse tragically died from alcohol poisoning at 27 years old. Her family created the Amy Winehouse Foundation in her memory to spread awareness about substance abuse and assist youth in need. Below are four ways the nonprofit organization helps poor communities in the U.K. and around the world.

1. The foundation educates students about substance abuse. The nonprofit routinely gives educational talks in colleges and universities to spread awareness about substance abuse. Known as “Resilience Programmes,” these talks encourage students to make safe decisions, ask for help and better identify the signs of someone struggling with drugs and alcohol. To date, these talks have been conducted in more than 450 schools across the U.K. and have educated more than 350,000 students.
2. The foundation houses young women in need. To help young women transition from rehabilitation centers to everyday life, the nonprofit offers housing opportunities to those in need. The foundation owns an apartment complex in London called “Amy’s Place” where “up to 16 young women” can live after leaving substance abuse treatment. This housing opportunity is important because it allows women to build a support network and help each other during difficult times. In 2019, the Amy Winehouse Foundation won the prestigious “Centre for Social Justice Award” for its impact with Amy’s Place.
3. The foundation partners with other organizations to maximize its impact. To date, the nonprofit has partnered with the British organization Phoenix Futures to offer treatment programs to people in England, Wales and Scotland. Additionally, the foundation has partnered with another British organization called Addaction to spread awareness about prevention and treatment programs for alcohol abuse.
4. The foundation helps poor communities in St. Lucia and Jamaica. Beyond the U.K., the nonprofit also offers programs and assistance to poor communities living in St. Lucia and Jamaica. More specifically, it funds music lessons for people struggling with addiction. These music lessons double as coping mechanisms to improve the well-being of participants. Additionally, music lessons are offered to disadvantaged youth as a way to expand their teamwork skills. The organization has helped more than 390 people in St. Lucia and Jamaica gain access to music lessons regardless of their socioeconomic status.

Overall, the Amy Winehouse Foundation has changed the lives of communities living in St. Lucia, Jamaica and the U.K. for the better. After listening to one of the foundation’s presentations, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, noted, “[I]t was exactly what we all needed to hear.”By sharing personal stories about substance abuse with others, the Amy Winehouse foundation normalizes these difficult conversations and provides people with much-needed coping strategies.

– Chloe Young
Photo: Flickr