RECOVERY MONTH...RECOVERY MONTH...
Read the reports, see the pictures:
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‘You think nobody cares about
you – but until you start caring
about yourself, nobody will. You
have to believe in yourself and
admit to yourself that you are
worth it. But you can’t do it on
your own; you need people...’
come. It’s been so much hard work, but I owe
Addaction my life. I wish I had found recovery 20 years
ago and it’s a privilege to help others on that road.
I’m now 50. I live in Falmouth and wake up every day
and see the bay outside my window. It’s like a dream. I’ll
always be an alcoholic, but I don’t feel the need to tell
people now. I live for the future and not the past.
Find Addaction Chy in our directory pages
MY FIRST RECOVERY
WALK
Zara Walsh and family joined the
crowds in Blackpool
E
ven though my husband had been in recovery for
nearly three years, this was my first recovery
walk. I totally underestimated just how big the
recovery family is.
I didn’t realise how successful the walk would be.
My husband and sons have been to the two previous
walks and when they came home they would be
excited and talk about the walk for days – but this was
a whole new level.
I felt so proud to have my husband and children
walk alongside me. As we flew our flag right through
the town centre, all the way to the Winter Gardens,
people stood and stared in pure amazement.
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Our five children were so proud to tell people that
we are a recovery family as we walked with the
thousands of people who did not judge you for your
past, and stood with you united as one big family who
had been through the rough times similar to us. Our
kids had so much fun and even made new friends. I
now know that I will be at every walk from now on!
A SENSE OF PURPOSE
Joining in recovery month gave the
community at HMP Kirkham the
chance to embrace hope and change
T
he ability to promote any possibility of sustain -
able recovery to our nation’s incarcerated is no
easy task for prison recovery services. The chall -
enges are multifaceted and complex. Our client group
have entrenched and complicated issues that have often
taken a criminal and intoxicating career to embed.
But we like a challenge at HMP Kirkham! Changing
the culture of rehabilitation and recovery is very much
a passion for the staff and community within this
open establishment. Recovery is evident and palpable
and our success is infectious.
Recovery month is the perfect opportunity for us to
showcase that success and fly our proud purple flag
across the country, promoting the possibility of hope,
change and accomplishment. Our first recovery month
milestone took us back to the Doncaster Recovery
Games, where we travelled with hope in our hearts
and victorious memories of being the first prison
recovery team to win the 2016 challenge.
Our proud team included members of our recovery
community, who have worked hard on their journey of
discovery, and value the opportunity for resettlement.
The day was a true reminder of the importance of
connection and positive engagement. Team Kirkham
came away with a little less winning silver but as
much passion and dedication.
Throughout the course of the month our dedicated
staff and client group have worked hard to promote
the value of visible recovery, raising awareness and
sharing inspirational stories, baking cakes, washing
cars and making amends for their destructive past.
These memories and experiences are the blueprint to
a future of purposeful citizenship.
Freedom from addiction and crime requires the
vision of alternative, inspirational and asset-based
thinking. This cannot be achieved in isolation and what
better way to explore that than to join the thousands
of people marching along the blustery Blackpool front
on the UK Recovery Walk. That day represented
everything that categorises the spirit of recovery and
reminded us that together we can make a difference.
I am proud to be part of a thriving, innovative
movement within the prison walls and challenge
anyone to deny the power of recovery!
Amanda Wrenn is recovery service lead at HMP Kirkham
October 2017 | drinkanddrugsnews | 19