IPSWICH: A mother whose daughter overcame a �200-a-day crack and heroin habit today heaped praise on the threatened charity which came to her rescue.

The Iceni Project is facing closure after the bulk of its funding was cut – leaving the organisation, which has helped dozens of drug addicts, staring into the abyss.

“The Iceni Project gave me my daughter back when she was lost and on drugs – they brought her back to me,” said the Ipswich mum, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her daughter’s identity.

“Without them, she might not be here with me now.”

As revealed in The Evening Star, the charity, based in Fore Street, is fighting for its survival and facing closure after the Suffolk Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) switched its funding to new tenders.

Since the announcement last week, hundreds of Star readers and those who have benefited from the project’s work since its creation 12 years ago have backed our Save Iceni campaign.

The mother, who lives in south west Ipswich, said: “The people need Iceni. All of the people that go there are somebody’s daughters and sons.

“I’m lucky that I have my daughter back – if Iceni closed then there would be no-one to support the children who have become addicted to drugs.”

Her daughter’s habit had spiralled out of control and had left her on the brink – but she managed to turn her life around after she was advised to visit Iceni.

After being clean of drugs for six years, the former addict and mother-of-two is today looking forward to a bright future.

“I would have died without Iceni, there is no question about that,” she said.

“I am proud of myself but you have to want to get help and Iceni got hold of me at just the right time.

“Without Iceni the town would struggle to free people of the hold drugs have on them.”

n Send us your messages of support – write to Save Iceni, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or alternatively you can send an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk