New Take LEAP app creating hope and support for addicts
A new digital wellbeing tool developed in Fife is aiming to transform how people tackle hidden addictions. Colin Brown, from Leven, has launched Take LEAP, an app designed to support individuals struggling with gambling, vaping, overeating, social media overuse and substance dependence, behaviours that often go unnoticed but carry significant emotional, financial and mental consequences.
Take LEAP positions itself not simply as an app, but as a structured break‑free programme combining psychology, technology and community support. Brown, who previously battled a gambling addiction for 25 years, has channelled his lived experience into a platform that offers practical tools and a sense of accountability. After reaching crisis point and waiting two years for a referral, he began journalling, listening to recovery podcasts and eventually creating his own, which received strong engagement online. His last bet was placed on 13th September 2023.
Colin explained, “Self‑funded and developed with a specialist team, Take LEAP uses proven techniques such as neuroplasticity to help users rewire harmful habits. The app includes exercise and nutrition guidance, meditation and breathing exercises, calorie tracking, journalling prompts, goal‑setting features, an AI recovery companion, podcast links and gambling‑blocking software. I aim to build a safe, supportive community where users can identify triggers and follow a structured path toward recovery. I also hope to target businesses to use the app as a potential tool to help employee wellbeing.”
Pilot studies and user trials have been completed, with data privacy requirements met. Take LEAP will offer a free one‑week trial followed by a £6.99 monthly subscription.
Hannah Morton, Business Adviser at Business Gateway Fife, commented, “I’ve supported Colin from the very beginning, and it has been inspiring to watch his idea grow into a fully developed product. He recently secured start‑up grant, funded by the UK government through the UK Prosperity Fund, but what stands out most is how much of himself he has invested in this project, using his own lived experience to help others while I’ve guided him when needed. We hope the PR will help raise awareness among businesses, because hidden addictions affect people in every workplace. Seeing Colin channel his recovery into a business that can genuinely change lives has been incredibly rewarding.”
At the launch, recovering addict Jack Metcalfe praised the app’s all‑in‑one approach, while Blethered podcast producer Sean MacDonald highlighted the urgent need for solutions, citing the hundreds of suicides linked to addiction each year. More information can be found here.
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