Nacoa (The National Association for Children of Alcoholics) is a charity in the United Kingdom providing information and support for everyone affected by their parent's drinking through a free, confidential telephone and email helpline.
[2] Nacoa was founded in 1990 "to address the needs of children growing up in families where one or both parents suffer from alcohol use disorder or a similar addictive problem".
Previous speakers have included Virginia Ironside, Fergal Keane, Lauren Booth, Bill Gallagher, David Yelland, Karl Johnson, Cherie Lunghi, Liam Byrne, Jonathan Ashworth, Camilla Tominey, Calum Best, Tony Adams, Geraldine James, Ceri Walker, David Coldwell, Sophie K and Vicky Pattison.
[10] The UK government announced the first children of alcohol-dependent parents strategy with £6 million for local and national projects, including £380,000 for Nacoa’s helpline.
Nacoa's visibility on the digital platform has increased and its social media following is now the largest in the world for a service or individual account targeted at children affected by their parent's drinking.
It was, therefore, gratifying to receive a letter recognising Nacoa's contribution to the first Manifesto for Children of Alcoholics worldwide from the Executive Director of UNICEF, Anthony Lake.
Nacoa Patron, The Right Honourable Liam Byrne MP, launched the Manifesto at the David Stafford Memorial Lecture during COA Week.
In 2017, Liam Byrne announced these findings at a meeting with the Secretary of State, Nicola Blackwood MP, in Westminster Hall when she pledged cross-party support to address this social injustice.
In 2017, Nacoa received countless messages extolling the positive impact of its helpline services, which will inform future work and ensure this vulnerable group is no longer ignored.
(Treasurer), Laurence Alleyne, Jane Elson, Euan Graham, Katy Stafford (Chair of trustees) Independent organisations have been set up around the world with similar aims.
[19] Supporters of the week include Nacoa's patrons and other well-known people such as Belinda Carlisle, Sheila Hancock Sir Ben Kingsley, Prue Leith, Cherie Lunghi, Marco Pierre White, Craig Revel Horwood, Kim Woodburn and Antony Worrall Thompson.
[20] To celebrate COA Week 2011, Nacoa released their first charity single, a cover of the Sam Cooke classic ‘A change is gonna come’ sung by Maria McAteer (daughter of Al Timothy) with piano and arrangement by Bjorn Dahlberg and strings by the Stanford Quartet.