UK-based festival drug-testing service The Loop has been granted charity status. Following a review of the non-profit’s activities, the Charity Commission determined drug checking as a legal and charitable activity in the UK.
Although The Loop became the country’s first Home Office-licensed drug-checking service in May, this fresh opportunity will allow the organization to “develop services, reach wider communities and more individuals, and greater opportunity to secure further funding to do so.”
Along with its new status, the harm-reduction organization also appointed Katy Porter as the new CEO and Ursh Skeet as the full-time administrator.
Porter is a highly experienced senior manager in health care and vice chair for youth homeless charity Depaul UK.
The Loop’s founder, Fiona Measham, said that the charity is “very lucky to have the experience and skills of Katy to drive the next stage in our development.”
Porter said it is exciting to be the full-time CEO of the UK’s first drug-checking service.
“The opportunity to develop drug checking nationally and reduce harm is the great motivator to join The Loop.”
For the past decade, the drug-testing and counseling service The Loop has been keeping revelers safe at music festivals across the UK. Until now, it has been run as a not-for-profit CIC by its founder and director Fiona Measham, chair in criminology at the University of Liverpool.