Aquarius Action Projects
Charity 1014305
Overview
Summary
Aquarius Action Projects appears to be a specialist behaviour-change and inclusion organisation whose role extends beyond direct substance-misuse support. Its model combines support for affected individuals and families, early intervention through professional training, and pathways into participation through volunteering and employment. Its forthcoming merger into Waythrough suggests that Aquarius’s local identity and specialist practice are being retained within a larger organisational platform, while its service footprint and delivery model may be entering a period of change.
Operational geography
Coverage: Regional
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Edgbaston
Confidence: medium
Direct evidence identifies a current Aquarius service location in Edgbaston for several Birmingham-facing services. The evidence does not explicitly identify a ward.
- Aquarius contact page
Lists a Birmingham service location in Edgbaston, with Aquarius Life, Gambling, Birmingham Young People's Service and Young People and Gambling delivered there. - Aquarius Birmingham Young People's Service page
States that the service supports children and young people across Birmingham and gives its Birmingham location as being in Edgbaston. - Aquarius CARES page
States that Aquarius CARES provides face-to-face, outreach and virtual support across Birmingham and gives an Edgbaston contact location.
Bordesley and Highgate
Confidence: medium
Aquarius directly identifies an active Evolve social-enterprise youth hub in Digbeth. The evidence does not itself name a ward.
- Aquarius Evolve page
Describes Evolve as a Birmingham social enterprise café project and states that Evolve @ the Adam and Eve is a youth hub in Digbeth, offering recovery-related support and activities. - Aquarius contact page
Lists an Evolve service location in Digbeth. - Aquarius Birmingham Young People's Service page
Lists the Evolve Recovery Hub at the Adam and Eve in Digbeth among spaces that young people using the Birmingham service can visit.
Bournbrook and Selly Park
Confidence: medium
Aquarius directly identifies Grounded, Selly Oak as an Evolve site. The evidence does not explicitly identify a ward.
- Aquarius Evolve page
States that Evolve operates at Grounded, Selly Oak, a wellbeing café and hub providing therapeutic workshops, wellbeing activities, social events, volunteering and employment training. - Aquarius contact page
Lists Grounded, Selly Oak in Bournbrook as an Evolve service location. - Aquarius Evolve page
States that, in partnership with the Living Well Consortium, Evolve delivers wellbeing cafés and employment programmes at Grounded, Selly Oak.
Soho and Jewellery Quarter
Confidence: medium
Aquarius directly identifies Grounded, St Pauls as an Evolve site. The evidence does not explicitly identify a ward.
- Aquarius Evolve page
States that Evolve operates at Grounded, St Pauls, a wellbeing café and therapy hub offering talking therapies, community space, volunteering and employment training. - Aquarius contact page
Lists Grounded, St Pauls as an Evolve service location. - Aquarius Evolve page
States that, in partnership with the Living Well Consortium, Evolve delivers wellbeing cafés and employment programmes at Grounded, St Pauls.
Remaining uncertainties
- The evidence strongly supports citywide Birmingham delivery for young people and families through home, school, community, outreach and online provision, but it does not identify a stable, ward-by-ward pattern of delivery. It would therefore be misleading to list every Birmingham ward as a discrete operational area.
- Kingstanding Leisure Centre is named by the Birmingham Young People's Service as a space young people can visit, but the available evidence does not establish whether it is a permanent Aquarius-operated site, a regular outreach venue or an occasional access point.
- The supplied evidence confirms Aquarius's wider Midlands and northern Home Counties footprint, and its gambling service explicitly spans the West Midlands and adjacent regions. It does not provide a complete current location list for every non-Birmingham service.
- The Edgbaston service location is also a registered office; the current service pages resolve the usual uncertainty around registered addresses by showing direct delivery there.
- Aquarius's partnership with the Living Well Consortium materially supports delivery at the Grounded Selly Oak and St Pauls sites, but the available material does not specify the partnership's geographic remit beyond those named locations.
Additional evidence needed
- A current Birmingham service-delivery or commissioner report showing referral, outreach, school and community-session locations by ward.
- Confirmation from Aquarius of the operational status, frequency and governance of provision at Kingstanding Leisure Centre.
- A current site schedule distinguishing permanent Aquarius premises, social-enterprise venues, partner-hosted venues and occasional outreach settings.
- A current partnership agreement or service description for the Living Well Consortium identifying the locations and roles covered.
Areas of work
- Disability
- Education/training
- The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
Who they help
- Children/young People
- Elderly/old People
- Other Defined Groups
- People With Disabilities
How they help
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Provides Services
- Sponsors Or Undertakes Research
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A bridge between treatment, prevention and social inclusion
Aquarius appears to treat alcohol, drug and gambling harms as social and relational issues, not solely individual health problems. Its stated work with families, carers and professionals, alongside support for adults and young people, may indicate an operating model designed to reduce harm across a person’s wider network.
Why it matters
This helps explain why Aquarius provides training and outreach as well as direct support: it may be building local capacity to recognise and respond to harm earlier, rather than relying only on crisis intervention.
Show evidence
“The charity’s objects include relieving hardship among people affected by substance misuse, gambling and behavioural problems, and their families and dependants.”
Source:Charity Commission“Aquarius works with individuals, families, carers and professionals around alcohol misuse, drug misuse, gambling and other behavioural problems.”
Source:Organisation
Lived experience may be part of its delivery strength
The organisation appears to value progression from receiving support to contributing as a volunteer or employee. This may create unusually credible, peer-informed support and strengthen routes back into community participation.
Why it matters
This suggests Aquarius may generate capacity as well as deliver services: people supported by the organisation may become part of its future workforce, volunteer base and community reach.
Show evidence
“A volunteer states that most staff have lived experience.”
Source:Organisation“A Grounded Café staff member is described as previously a service user and a volunteer.”
Source:Organisation“A service manager describes receiving support for qualifications and apprenticeships within Aquarius.”
Source:Organisation
A local specialist identity is being folded into a larger system
Aquarius appears to be transitioning from a distinct charity identity toward operation within Waythrough’s Midlands area. The assurance of continuity may indicate an effort to preserve trusted local services while gaining access to a broader mental-health, housing and substance-support infrastructure.
Why it matters
This is important because merger can alter referral routes, governance, branding and local relationships even where frontline teams initially remain unchanged. It may create new collaboration opportunities, but also warrants attention to whether Aquarius’s specialist identity remains visible.
Show evidence
“Aquarius is part of Waythrough, a charity specialising in mental health, alcohol and drug support, and related areas.”
Source:Organisation“Aquarius states that it will merge with Waythrough on 1 April 2026 and that services will continue as part of Waythrough’s Midlands area.”
Source:Organisation“The organisation states that there will be no changes to the teams or services used.”
Source:Organisation
- The scale, locations and relative importance of Aquarius’s different services are unclear.
- There is no outcome evidence showing whether training, peer involvement or direct support improves recovery, inclusion or prevention.
- The effects of the April 2026 merger on governance, local partnerships and service accessibility are unknown.
Remaining uncertainties
- Service-level data on locations, referral routes, beneficiary groups, waiting times and outcomes.
- Information on partnerships with health, social care, schools, criminal justice, housing and gambling-harm services.
- Post-merger plans or evaluation showing how Aquarius’s teams, identity and specialist capabilities are being retained within Waythrough.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
Aquarius works with individuals, families, carers and professionals around issues of alcohol misuse, drug misuse, gambling and other behavioural problems. We have services across the Midlands and the northern Home Counties. Our skilled practitioners and support workers offer education, training, outreach, home visits, one to one & group work.
Charity objects
1. THE RELIEF OF POVERTY, SICKNESS AND DISTRESS AMONGST: PERSONS WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM DRUG ABUSE, ALCOHOL MISUSE, GAMBLING ADDICTION OR OTHER BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS; AND THE FAMILIES AND DEPENDANTS OF SUCH PERSONS WHO ARE IN CONDITIONS OF HARDSHIP AND DISTRESS 2. THE PREVENTION OF DRUG ABUSE, ALCOHOL MISUSE, GAMBLING AND OTHER BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS THROUGH THE PROVISION OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONALS AND VOLUNTEERS IN THOSE FIELDS 3. THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC WITH REGARD TO THE DANGERS OF DRUG ABUSE, ALCOHOL MISUSE, GAMBLING ADDICTION AND OTHER BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS; AND 4. TO PROMOTE SOCIAL INCLUSION FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY PREVENTING PEOPLE BECOMING SOCIALLY EXCLUDED, PARTICULARLY DUE TO SUBSTANCE MISUSE OR GAMBLING, RELIEVING THE NEEDS OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE SOCIALLY EXCLUDED AND ASSISTING THEM TO INTEGRATE INTO SOCIETY