Dumbarton Area Council on Alcohol (DACA) used its annual general meeting to launch a film about its services.

The community-based charity provides advice and counselling for anyone who is affected by their own or someone else’s alcohol-related problems.

The 10-minute movie was produced by media student Natalia Wilinska and gives a overview of the charity’s 42-year history and the range of services on offer at premises in Clydebank and Dumbarton.

DACA opted to use the newly-renovated council offices in Church Street for its AGM, which provided the ideal venue for the film’s launch.

DACA chairman, David Wilson, said: “The main civic space in the Burgh Hall is a good venue for a large gathering, and the huge projection screens made it perfect for our film showing.”

In the film, volunteer counsellor Mary Burch described the agency’s core counselling service, saying: “Counselling is very much about listening to people, seeing the whole person. We deal with alcohol issues but sometimes there is a lot more going on.”

As part of DACA’s new Steps to Recovery project, the charity offers a weekly open social drop-in on Wednesday during the day between 10am and 1pm at the Clydebank Office at 82 Dumbarton Road.

The DACA drop-in is an informal way to find out more about what is on offer and spend time with people who have benefited from the service.

Jim, a peer volunteer with DACA, who first came to the organisation to seek help for his own drink problem explained in the film: “I wasn’t looking to change – it was my brother who convinced me to get help. I never saw anyone, I was stuck in the house for six or seven years, just drinking.

“The difference now is like night and day – now I am doing all sorts of things, fishing, gardening, volunteering and I’m a lot healthier for it.

“Coming to DACA really helps you get over the problems you have with alcohol and it helps the family as well.

“DACA itself is like a big family – the doors are always open, you can come in have a cup of tea and there is always toast on the go. You can have a blether or go out and help in the garden, usually someone will get a guitar in their hand and have a wee sing song.

“Everyone understands what everyone else is going through, it’s up to you to fight the fight but DACA is always there at your back.”