About

Welcome to the history of Nehemiah! If you would like to know more about where it all started, read on! This is our story …..

Nehemiah is a small, community based voluntary organisation in Renfrewshire seeking to reach out to individuals and families affected by drug and alcohol dependencies.

We believe in holding on to Hope,
that Freedom is an option
and that Healing is possible.

Nehemiah is a Christian based organisation whose main aim is to point people to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Ultimate Source of Hope, Freedom and Healing. However, you do not need to be a Christian to access our services or support. As the saying goes, sometimes people ‘do not care what you know, until they know that you care’.

Here at Nehemiah we believe in abstinence and complete freedom from addiction – therefore we believe that Recovered is possible. Just imagine!

Where it all began

Nehemiah started as a dream about 20 years ago in a small town on the south coast of England. For many years the dream was encouraged by Andy Gibson who sadly went to be with the Lord in 2016. Who knows where Nehemiah would be today if it wasn’t for Andy’s faithful support. It might still be just a dream.

For many years verses in the Bible were a particular encouragement, perhaps most notably some found in the books of Matthew and Mark in the New Testament. In these verses we read of wonderful things being accomplished when we have the faith to believe (Matthew 21:21,22; Mark 9:23,24).

The dream becomes reality

More recently the dream became a reality and the Nehemiah Trust was formed. Albeit Covid slowed things down, in March 2022 we made a small beginning with a weekly drop-in, running every Friday at the Tannahill Centre in Ferguslie, Paisley. In September this metamorphosed into the 5-0 Recovery Café (FORC). More recently, in August 2025 we relocated FORC to Renfrew (3 Dunlop Street) and will hopefully increase the activities on offer in the near future.

Nehemiah takes its name from a man in the Bible who was an amazing leader. You can read his story in the Old Testament part of the Bible (look for the book called by his name). Perhaps Nehemiah is most famous for his part in rebuilding the walls and city of Jerusalem. Just as the man Nehemiah supported the Jews to rebuild this city that lay in ruins, we believe in supporting individuals to rebuild their lives free from drug and alcohol dependencies. Interested?