Peter McCann (1940 – 2024) – a tribute to the Clouds House founder

Peter was a pioneering force in the field of drug and alcohol recovery services, where over 40 years ago, along with his beloved wife, Dr Margaret Ann McCann, he began helping people to overcome their addictions and enter a life of recovery. 

Having grown up with a medical background, he was able to combine his family-history of helping others alongside his sharp business acumen, studying economics and psychology at Trinity College Dublin. This was followed by a career in the City of London.

Peter and Margaret founded Clouds House in 1983, a residential addiction treatment centre in rural Wiltshire. In June last year, the Clouds community had the honour of celebrating its 40th birthday with Peter and his family at its annual reunion. During this special day, we honoured the legacy of recovery felt across the country from Peter and Margaret’s pioneering work at Clouds House.

In the late 1980’s Peter and Margaret left Clouds in safe hands, moving on to establish Castle Craig in Scotland in 1988.

Peter also founded EATA (European Addiction Treatment Agency) in the early 1990s and more recently was elected to the Board of the International Council of Alcohol and Addictions.

We will be forever thankful to Peter for his dedication to realising his vision for better treatment of addiction in the UK, and our deepest condolences to his family. He will always be remembered with love and gratitude at Forward Trust and Clouds House.