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The book is tentatively called 'Transforming Pain Into Power: Recovering From Addiction and Helping Communities Thrive'. It has involved Zoom conversations with 16 individuals; in the vast majority of cases, we have connected Perth (Western Australia) and North Wales on more than one occasion for each person.

At a far more pragmatic level, for individuals in early recovery, trying to make changes, then just being with other individuals who have achieved a long period of recovery becomes inspirational and motivational. Recovery is contagious. The infectious positives of...

'I was invited by The National Lottery and Allwyn as one of their Game Changers to further participate in their 30th birthday celebrations and to meet Members of The Senedd to talk about what we're up to in Wrexham and the positive ripple effect we've been having across Wales for nearly 10 years.' Marcus Fair, Eternal Media Founder

Bwyd Da Bangor was never a conventional commercial enterprise. It was founded with the Health Board’s backing as a multi-functional social venture - promoting local food producers, supporting a food club, employing and training those in recovery, maintaining a food bank, and serving as a community hub.... Crucially, it was never meant to rely solely on commercial viability. A portion of its costs was always intended to be underwritten by the Health Board. That commitment was abandoned...

NWRC was approached and subsequently commissioned to establish and run the café, with the assurance that a package of support funding would be provided to sustain the venture in the long-term. This was on the basis of key advice and guidance provided by representatives of the Crisis Café on the original study visit, who highlighted...

I am really upset and angry that Bwyd Da Bangor, the ethically and environmentally sustainable café/restaurant run by North Wales Recovery Communities (NWRC) is being forced to close. I know that members of NWRC and staff and volunteers at Bwyd Da Bangor are not only very upset, but deeply frustrated. Let me explain.

When I find myself in a ‘down’ period, questioning my ability to tell the overall story in the powerful way I wish, my spirits are always lifted by viewing these films, listening to the moving words and music. I then once again feel so proud to be working in this field.

The MOIMR programme was developed by asking people in recovery what helped them most early in their recovery (e.g., what topics were most important to consider and what strategies and techniques were most helpful to them). The programme addresses many topics related to mental wellbeing and substance misuse (e.g., how to...

When I came to Australia in late-2008, I again rarely heard the word ‘trauma’ used, even by addiction treatment services. I didn’t think a great deal about this matter until I read Judy Atkinson’s book 'Trauma Trails: Recreating Songlines—The Transgenerational Effects of Trauma in Indigenous Australia', which just blew me away. I didn’t just learn about trauma and how so many Aboriginal...

... recognising strengths and being given optimistic messages of recovery potential (from friends and family, professionals, carers, peers) whilst witnessing the recovery journeys of others made a positive impact on...

The #IronSharpensIron campaign strives to create a culture and a community where individuals feel safe and empowered to lean on one another, grow together, and overcome addiction through their shared strength and resilience. Whether you are an individual struggling with addiction, an individual in recovery, or a family member...

In the first instance, Wulf describes that Penryhn House was developed so that it was porous to the outside community—people can come into Penryhn to attend mutual aid groups, for example, whilst residents of Penryhn are allowed to interact out in the community.

I was terrified when I moved into Penryhn House. I had such low self-esteem and all my insecurities surfaced. I arrived with all my possessions in one holdall bag, which I didn’t unpack for two weeks. I was still unsure whether this recovery thing was what I wanted. However, I slowly convinced myself that I should try and if it didn’t work...

I invited Mark to create a piece of Forum Theatre for the students attending my Clinical Masters course on addiction that focused on the dilemmas faced by people recovering from heroin addiction. The class was a huge success, and Mark was really touched by the positive reception and feedback he received from the students.

David was invited to an inspirational 12-Step graduation ceremony at HM Prison Lancaster Farms, where he witnessed a level of emotional intensity and gratitude, along with a collective feeling of empowerment and belonging, that he had never seen whilst working at the so-called centre for excellence, the National Addiction...