Our Active Choices programme, aimed at supporting individuals through their recovery journey from substance and alcohol misuse, celebrated ten years of delivery today.

In that timeframe, the programme has supported over 1,000 individuals, some of who told their stories today.

Adam Rowley, Programme Lead, opened the event, He said:

"One of the things I am most proud of is how Active Choices has left behind a legacy on people’s lives. In putting today’s event together it has given me an opportunity to speak to many people who we have worked with over the 10 years, and hearing how they talk about their experiences on the programme and the impact it had on their recovery.

"I’m a firm believer that recovery in isolation does not exist. No matter if you are battling substance abuse, mental health problems, gambling addition, food addiction, bereavement - attempting to deal with it by yourself, convincing yourself that you know best and that you can fix yourself does not work!

"To overcome these challenges we might be dealing with, we have to make recovery visible to the people out there who still suffer daily. We need role models who have struggled with similar issues to lead the way and carry a message."

Ex Derby County captain Michael Johnson then joined his sister Sam, who benefitted directly from the programme, to share their experiences. He said:

"As a family member you don't understand what addiction is like to deal with. We had tried everything, and it was honestly a life or death situation. This programme gave my sister the chance to regrew and develop as a human being, and it proves that there's times when we fall, but having the guts and determination to get back on your feet is what's most important today."

His sister, Sam, is now the owner or Caribbean Palmz, a catering company which provided lunch for the day.

Various participants, past and present, took to the stage to give their thanks to the programme, with many of them echoing the same sentiment, that the programme's staff have been invaluable to their recovery, that the routine it provided was crucial, and that they would urge anyone not heir recovery journey to give the programme a try.

If Active Choices could help anybody you know, please follow the below link to find out more.

Active Choices