Amy Dickson – Nacoa Trustee and Outreach Manager
Amy lives in Surrey with her husband, two children and a particularly handsome (and disobedient) Border Terrier.
Her dad Steve died from multiple alcohol related illnesses in 2020 after decades of addiction. Days after his death she found Nacoa on social media and realised that there was a whole community of people who understood the complexities of having an alcoholic parent and did not judge the myriad feelings she had about her father. It was through Nacoa she discovered that “COA is a thing”.
Subsequently she has become a passionate supporter and fundraiser of their work. She has trained as a Nacoa speaker and also took part in the 2022 C4 documentary with Nacoa patron Vicky Pattison. She also co-hosts a podcast with Nacoa ambassador Sarah Drage where they discuss being a COA openly and honestly with a variety of guests.
Amy became a Trustee of Nacoa in 2023.
In 2024 Amy was asked to lead on the Schools Outreach Programme, with Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation and Nacoa joining forces to deliver the largest outreach project of its kind in UK history.
Nacoa is the NHS recommended service for children affected by parents’ alcohol problems and promotes awareness and training through its schools campaign. Despite the prevalence of the issue, however, this is not a statutory topic in classrooms in England and Wales. The Schools Outreach Programme aims to educate children, young people and the professionals who work with them to feel supported and to make healthy choices for themselves.
Amy is passionate about having open and honest conversations about alcohol addiction and the affect on families which is demonstrated through her outreach work. She believes that reducing the stigma around alcohol addiction and the impact it can have on loved ones is vital to ensure that more COAs feel empowered to seek the help they need.
She will continue to work as hard as she can for Nacoa so that nobody feels alone if they are struggling with a parent’s drinking.
