A charity helping people to battle addiction has unveiled a fresh new logo and website.While Norcas has been operating in Norfolk and Suffolk for 30 years, not everyone realises that it offers help for people with alcohol, gambling and drug problems.

A charity helping people to battle addiction has unveiled a new logo and website.

While Norcas has been operating in Norfolk and Suffolk for 30 years, not everyone realises that it offers help for people with alcohol, gambling and drug problems.

Now the charity has unveiled a new vision, logo and website in a bid to reach more of the estimated 120,000 'problem drinkers', 8,200 drug users and 5,000 problem gamblers in Norfolk.

Compared to 2008, Norcas has seen its referrals in Norfolk rise by 30pc for drug abuse and 34pc for alcohol misuse.

The picture is even more pronounced in Suffolk, where drug referrals are up by 50pc and alcohol referrals by a staggering 63pc.

Maggie Williams, chief executive of Norcas, said: 'Our new logo and identity effectively represents what we are today and will be in the future, making it easier for everyone to recognise every aspect of what we offer.'

Changes to the way charitable funding is allocated via European Union procurement means in the future the charity will have to compete to just keep its existing services.

She said: 'Without careful strategic planning this could potentially put at risk some of the vital services we provide. It is essential to plan ahead to meet these challenges successfully and achieve our aim of providing a full range of services throughout all diverse areas of Norfolk and Suffolk.

'Norcas is therefore embarking on a programme of change that will ensure we are at the forefront of delivering top level services for our region and the best results for our service users and funders for many years to come.'

The charity has appointed a new fundraising manager to help boost its income, 94pc of which currently comes from statutory funding.

Norcas chairman Andy Wood, who is also managing director of Adnams brewery, said: 'It's a perilous situation with public finances at the moment and the board of trustees are acutely aware of the threats that are out there.

'However, we are a committed team of people, have a great brand and most importantly we make a real difference to people's lives.

'Those will stand us in good stead even through the tough times and in actual fact I see opportunities for Norcas to pick up some of the load that the public sector may not be able to carry in the future.'

The newly re-launched website of Norcas can be seen at www.norcas.org.uk