A Decade of Standing Beside Children and impacted Families When It Matters Most.
Celebrating – Motiv8’s Family Service
This April, Motiv8’s Family Service will celebrate 10 years of providing vital, compassionate support to children and young people affected by parental alcohol and substance misuse, as well as gambling and gaming disorders. Many of these children live with hidden worry, emotional insecurity, and disrupted family life. Through a whole-family approach, the service helps to reduce harm and lessen the impact of these behaviours on children by building resilience and walking alongside them through their struggles and fears.
Over just the past two and a half years, the Family Service has grown into a stable, skilled programme delivered by a dedicated team of professionals. During this time, children and families have accessed extensive therapeutic support, including individual counselling, family-based programmes, and group activities. These interventions create safe spaces where children can talk openly, strengthen coping skills, and form trusting relationships with adults and peers.
Alongside one-to-one counselling, children and young people benefit from structured group programmes such as Mini Motiv8 for primary-aged children and M-Powered for young people aged 11–17. Families also participate in M-PACT, an evidence-based programme that improves communication, strengthens relationships, and reduces the long-term impact of addiction within the home.
Since the service began, hundreds of adults and children have been referred, demonstrating both the scale of need and the accessibility of the support offered.
Outcomes for families engaging with Motiv8 are consistently positive. Children show improved emotional wellbeing, increased confidence, and better engagement in school. Parents report stronger routines, healthier communication, and a greater willingness to engage with treatment and wider support services. Families experience reduced isolation and improved stability, helping to break cycles of harm and prevent intergenerational misuse.
Rolling out to the past decade, the Family Service has supported nearly 700 individuals, with an average of 66 new referrals each year. The service has grown into a trusted and consistent source of support for families, responding to a steady level of need within the community. The free, confidential support is tailored to each individual, ranging from short term interventions to long term involvement, with some children being supported throughout their school years and into early adulthood. This sustained engagement reflects the depth of relationships built and the lasting impact of the service.
In the last two and a half years alone, the service has:
- Employed a dedicated family team of four highly skilled professionals
- Delivered 1,469 therapeutic counselling sessions for children in need
- Provided counselling programmes for 72 parents and 93 children
- Established safe spaces in schools and communities where children can speak openly and build trusted relationships
- Hosted Mini Motiv8, an activity-based group giving primary-aged children opportunities to play, laugh, and build positive memories
- Developed M-Powered, a youth group for 11–17-year-olds that helps young people build resilience and healthier coping strategies
- Delivered M-PACT, an internationally recognised whole-family programme that strengthens communication and reduces the impact of parental addiction
- Received 291 adult referrals and 334 child referrals since launch to the end of September 2025
This vital service relies totally on donations to survive and the progress has been made possible primarily through the continued support of the Scheinberg family, the Manx Lottery Trust, and other generous donors whose contributions have helped sustain and strengthen the Family Service to date. Their backing enables Motiv8 to plan ahead, maintain high-quality provision, and respond to ongoing need within the Isle of Man community. With the Family Service need continuing to grow and with continued partnership and a commitment to securing additional funding from a range of sources, Motiv8 remains focused on building a resilient, sustainable service that delivers lasting change for children and families.
For anyone that would like to support our Family Service please contact our fundraiser nicola.browne@motiv8.im. One off donations and regular donations are vitally important, no matter how small they are and can be made via our website www.motiv8.im.
