Mat Southwell

United Kingdom

Mat Southwell is Managing and Technical Director of Coact. Mat was a first-generation harm reduction worker who went on to be professional head of NHS drug services in East London. For twenty years, Mat has helped governments, universities, service providers, and the United Nations build meaningful partnership with people who use drugs. Mat became an Honorary Member of the Faculty of Public Health in 2025. Mat is a specialist in harm reduction and OAMT client literacy and rights and has special interests in stimulants, safer injecting/needle and syringe programmes, low dead space needles and syringes, community outreach, community mobilisation, peer work, social marketing campaigns, client information materials and the employment of people who use drugs. Mat provides support with strategic planning, project management and proposal writing. Mat provides coaching for harm reduction leaders, outreach managers and innovators.