The National Drug Commission is to take over the running of Island drug retreat Camp Spirit from counselling service Focus after weeks of negotiation.

The programme closed for the Spring session last month after Focus ran out of money but will begin again in October, after the summer break for camping at the Darrell's Island venue.

The NDC will hire additional counsellors while offering financial controls. Focus has agreed to implement recommendations from a recent report which wanted greater financial stringency.

NDC Chairman Malcolm Butterfield said the NDC wanted to ensure programmes were of the highest standards of clinical quality, safety and accountability.

He said: "There are so many families who suffer the terrible pain of addiction.

"The healing of our families requires nothing less than the best we can possibly offer.

"It further requires the courage to examine what we do and make the changes that successful treatment requires. Our families deserve nothing less."

The NDC has given Focus $30,000 that had been withheld during former Focus Chairman Rory Gorman's bid to remove Sandy Butterfield from her post of Executive Director.

It was matched by The Council Partner Charitable Trust who yesterday announced more than a $250,000 of funding for the four programmes it supports, including Focus.

But the CPCT are demanding strict financial accountability for their money which will only cover the next three months.

The CPCT allocation includes:

$112,500 for Fair Havens to help it build a comprehensive treatment programme for women

$30,000 for Focus - the money will address the current deficit. Further funding is tied to the board rectifying problems raised in the recent report on its operation.

$75,000 to PRIDE to help it build youth and adult prevention services.

$37,500 to Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse to keep it existing programmes running during a programme review.

CPCT Executive Director Gordon Johnson said it was the CPCT's normal practice to release funding every three months, based on two year budget projections from recipients.

CPCT Chairman Henry Smith said: "We support the continuing improvement of treatment and prevention services in our community and our allocations decisions reflect both our determination to effectively manage the donation dollars we receive and our commitment to quality.

"Sub optimal service is simply not acceptable."

He said the CPCT would this year spend more than last year's total of $894,287 on funding programmes.