Maggie Telfer

Maggie Telfer (1959 – 12 January 2023) was a British health activist who provided pioneering support services to drug users in Bristol, England. She was a co-founder of the Bristol Drugs Project in 1986, and acted as its chief executive until her death.

Personal life Telfer was born in Corbridge, Northumberland, in 1959, and was raised in Hedley on the Hill, the first of two daughters. After completing her education in Durham, she went on to study History and Russian Studies at Swansea University, graduating in 1980.

In 1985, Telfer moved to Bristol, England, and, alongside probation officers, established the Bristol Drugs Project in 1986. The Bristol Drugs Project was one of the first substance misuse services in the United Kingdom to focus on harm reduction by offering practical and therapeutic support to substance users to break the cycle of addiction, crime, and imprisonment.