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  1. About us
  2. Election Asks
  3. UK General Election asks

Uk General Election asks

Our three key policy asks ahead of the Westminster Elections

   Open a pilot Medically Supervised Injecting Facility

The number of people dying from drug-related deaths continues to rise. Unprecedented levels of drug-related deaths in 2017 saw 136 people die from drugs in Northern Ireland, with the number of men dying from drug-related causes increasing by 98% between 2007 and 2017. That’s 136 mums, dads, daughters, sons, sisters, and brothers bereaved as a result of deaths which are avoidable.

Extern believes there is an urgent need for a Medically Supervised Injecting Facility (MSIF) in Northern Ireland. A MSIF will reduce the number of people dying from drugs, as it provides a sterile and medically supervised space for people to inject safely. Globally, no one has ever died in a MSIF, yet in the last year alone over 58 people could have died on the streets of Belfast, if Extern's harm reduction teams hadn't been there to administer naloxone.

Crucially, as well as halting preventable overdose deaths, MSIFs also remove drug usage and injecting paraphernalia from public spaces. They also engage with people to support them in reducing the harms caused by drugs and to access accommodation and healthcare services. As such they become a conduit to better health and treatment for drug dependency.

Pledge support for Extern’s call  to open a pilot Medically Supervised Injecting Facility.


     Saving Lives - more support for suicide prevention 

Suicide is a preventable death, yet approximately 250,000 people in Northern Ireland have been directly affected by suicide over the past 15 years. The Public Health Agency have made recent commitments to reduce the number of deaths by 10 per cent by 2024. Extern services are working to make that a reality on the frontline.

Extern’s services provide mental health and wellbeing supports to thousands of young people and families every year, including our crisis services which provide direct support to people feeling actively suicidal.

Pledge support for Extern’s call for funding to appropriate community-based responses to people in crisis.


    Increased supports for people experiencing homelessness

Last year 18,180 households presented as homeless across Northern Ireland, the majority of whom were single men and families. Each year Extern provides over 20,000 bed nights for people who are homeless while also growing our stock of houses.

Extern’s homelessness services support the most vulnerable, in particular, people with mental health needs and problematic alcohol and drug use (including those with dual diagnosis needs). Our specialised services reach in to support people to maintain tenancies, access specialised health and social care support, and work to reduce harm caused by substance use. They meet people at their point of need.

With growing pressure on Supporting People funding, and increasing complexity of health and social care needs in the homelessness sector, please support our work.

Pledge support for Extern Homes. This project provides life-changing supported tenancies to help people move on from homelessness.

Pledge support too as we call for:

  • increased and diversified funding to support services at the intersection of health and homelessness.    
  • an increase in social housing output to meet the needs of individuals and families,
  • and a review of Local Housing Allowance Rates as they are not keeping pace with market rent
  • change to the “shared room rate” for people, under 35, who are homeless and cannot access housing.

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Latest

  • Family of Lisa McAlister donate £10,000 to tackle suicide and mental health in Glens of Antrim

    Family of Lisa McAlister donate £10,000 to tackle suicide and mental health in Glens of Antrim

    McAlister family donate £10,000 to Extern in her memory Lisa McAlister, who died tragically by suicide two years ago

  • Sham - NI Refugee Resettlement Service

    Sham - NI Refugee Resettlement Service

    ‘Sham’ (18) and her family received support from Extern's Northern Ireland Refugee Resettlement Service after fleeing the war in Syria in 2017

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  • Who we are

    Extern transform lives as the leading social justice charity across the island of Ireland.

  • What we do

    What we do

    Extern is the leading social justice charity operating across the island of Ireland. We are also the leading provider of placements for social work students in the voluntary sector.

  • Ormeau Centre

    Ormeau Centre

    Based in Belfast, Extern's Ormeau Centre provides temporary accommodation and support to men and women experiencing homelessness

  • Contact us

    Telephone advice and information for people with a housing problem or who are homeless, living with poor mental health or problem gambling.

  • Strategic Leadership Team

    The leadership team have overall corporate responsibility for Extern's corporate strategy, leadership, management and organisational performance.

  • Latest volunteering opportunities

    Latest volunteering opportunities

    Find out more about volunteering with us, opportunities available, and what our volunteers say.

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Sham - NI Refugee Resettlement Service

Sham - NI Refugee Resettlement Service

‘Sham’ (18) and her family received support from Extern's Northern Ireland Refugee Resettlement Service after fleeing the war in Syria in 2017 Read more

Published: 20th June, 2022

Author: Ian Dinsmore

Location: 118-122 Royal Avenue, Belfast, BT1 1DL

Family of Lisa McAlister donate £10,000 to tackle suicide and mental health in Glens of Antrim

Family of Lisa McAlister donate £10,000 to tackle suicide and mental health in Glens of Antrim

McAlister family donate £10,000 to Extern in her memory Lisa McAlister, who died tragically by suicide two years ago Read more

Published: 23rd June, 2022

Updated: 24th June, 2022

Author: Ian Dinsmore

Location: 3 McKinney Road, Mallusk, BT36 4PE

Latest tweet

  • The reality is that the average person living with an #addiction is not so easy to spot and looks a lot more like t… https://t.co/LqAegAfgHO

    1stJuly, 2022 @externcharity
  • RT @the_bigstep: Jokes aside... there is no evidence that the current level of gambling advertising and sponsorship is safe. https://t.co/h1jqpRpHVU

    1stJuly, 2022 @externcharity
  • Delighted to be joining online for the @ChildRightsIRL for their webinar - #EndChildPoverty End Child Poverty Polit… https://t.co/jg0eeMXG8h

    30thJune, 2022 @externcharity

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Contact us

Extern is a registered charity in Northern Ireland
Registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC105869
Company Registration No: NI 16083
Registered office

Hydepark House,        
3 McKinney Road,
Newtownabbey, BT36 4PE
Telephone: Mon to Fri 9-5pm 
+44 (0)28 9084 0555

Extern is a registered charity in the Republic of Ireland
Company Registration No: 383201
Registered Charity Number: 20055318
Registered office

Extern, 1st floor, Block 4
Monread Leisure and Commercial Centre,
Monread Avenue,
Naas, Co Kildare
W91 YWX3
Tel: Mon to Fri 9-5pm +353 (0)45 878720
Extern Problem Gambling: 
ROI: 089 241 5401
NI: 07537 188 575


Extern Group
Registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC103226
Company No. NI 618684

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