Profile
A PROFILE NICK CHARLES MBE
Nick Charles was born in the Birmingham suburb of Langley, the son of a police officer and was educated in Bewdley, Worcestershire. He spent his early years as a professional entertainer and he believes this, together with his commitment to a genetic predisposition theory, resulted in him lapsing into serious alcoholism. After the most traumatic of experiences during which he lost his wife and family and became a homeless vagrant, he ceased drinking two days before his birthday, two weeks before Christmas and spent his detox working as a barman, pulling the drinks for others that he knew would combat the awful effects of the withdrawal he was enduring. That he did not drink again was incredible, that he returned to tell the tale was even more incredible, that he should retain the articulation, desire, staying power and vocational drive to bring many thousands of others back from the brink, is nothing short of extraordinary.
In sobriety he continued his career as an entertainer, then formed a comedy, vocal double act with IMDB listed actress Lesley Roach who had been introduced to him by Phil Collins’ mum June. Lesley was the daughter of an alcoholic mother who had died from the illness at forty-eight and so shared Nick’s ambition to help others. Lesley’s recently completed biography is called, ‘A Brutal Bequest’ written by Nick.
Nick is an alcohol treatment programme design consultant, an author and an instinctive entertainer which makes him a charismatic media favourite. His life has been one of extraordinary contrasts. Alcohol had led him on a terrible spiral of destruction from a respectable, comfortable and privileged upbringing to destitution, with a truly stunning and unlikely outcome. In 1996, his work helping others in their fight against alcohol abuse led him to Buckingham Palace, where he became the first person ever to be honoured by the Queen ‘for services to people with alcohol problems’. His journey of remarkable successes continued:
1977-1989 – Founder of his own alcohol recovery programme, now known as ‘ALCOHOL ANSWERS’, and Director of Lansdowne House Alcohol Advisory Unit (LHAAU) financed by his and Lesley’s work in the entertainment industry. LHAAU was an outpatient day centre support service based in a GP medical centre to help other alcoholics recover in the way that he had.
1989-2006 – Founder and Director of Chaucer Clinic in West London which became the largest residential alcohol rehabilitation unit of its kind in the UK, with a hugely successful recovery rate; it was in recognition of this he was awarded the MBE. At Chaucer he collaborated with Dr David Marjot MB BS., F.R.C. Psych., D.P.M. consultant North Thames when he became Consultant Advisor to Chaucer Clinic and later to the Gainsborough Foundation. During this period, he was interviewed by Professor Graham Neale in ‘Alcohol and Social Exclusion’ Volume 40 Supplement 1 ‘Alcohol and Alcoholism’ International Journal of the Medical Council on Alcohol. He advised Sir George Young MP at the Home Office on the ‘Rough Sleepers Initiative’ and also David Whitfield, Policy Advisor London Alcohol Forum.
In 2005 he was invited by Professor Timothy Peters to address the ESBRA Conference (European Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism) in Canterbury where he spoke on the 24-hour drinking law. Nick joined Lord Winston and Professor Colin Drummond in condemning the 24-hour Licensing Bill in the national press.
Along the way and to this day, Nick has been involved in hundreds of hours of interviews on radio and TV, at local, national and international level, and tens of thousands of words have been written about him in national and regional newspapers, magazines, and trade reports.
The BBC recognised him by producing a documentary of his life and he featured on Tim Sebastian’s prestigious ‘HARDtalk’ news documentary. He featured as guest of the week on the highly rated ‘Heaven and Earth’ Sunday programme and in the popular ‘Against All Odds’ series. His writings on alcohol addiction have been used at London teaching hospitals which train doctors of the future and he lectures in universities; The Sunday Times featured his work in a national alcohol study.
2007-2017 – Founder and Director of the Gainsborough Foundation (GF), an innovative outreach recovery and support service in Cambridgeshire for people whose lives are affected by alcohol misuse. This working was in collaboration with more than 150 GPs in medical centres across the region. In April 2017, NHS funding for alcohol treatment was transferred to local authorities and the GF service was unable to continue.
‘ALCOHOL ANSWERS’ (An Educational, Alcohol, Recovery and Information Format) written and devised by Nick Charles, is endorsed by many in the medical profession including:
Dr Arun Aggarwal ‘ALCOHOL ANSWERS’ Medical Lead – Dr David Marjot Consultant Adviser ‘ALCOHOL ANSWERS’ – Dr David Roberts ‘ALCOHOL ANSWERS’ Advisory Capacity.
Nick is committed to educating people of all ages into the dangers of abusing alcohol, and is currently evaluating the impact it has in relation to FASD (Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) and also mental health amongst the population.
Patsyclaybourne@gmail.com
