During Mental Health Awareness week, we’re celebrating the incredible achievements of our participants, and finding out how programmes at Derby County Community Trust make an impact on their lives.

Since its inception in 2012, Active Choices has supported over 1,000 participants through their addiction journeys – including 41-year-old Paul, who first joined the programme in 2019.

Anxiety held Paul back from attending, however a chance meeting with a friend and fellow participant gave him the courage to attend and meet with session leads.

Reflecting on taking the first step of his journey with the Trust, Paul said:

“There was no pressure to get involved in the session. My friend left me to get involved with the session which Marek [project staff] was delivering and left me to talk to Adam and Jimmy, the project lead and a volunteer, who massively put me at ease and made me feel comfortable over a coffee.

“Everybody I spoke to that day made me feel comfortable and I questioned why I had previously been so anxious about attending.

“After the session I made an appointment with Marek to sign up to the programme, and I have never looked back.”

As Paul grew more comfortable in attending the programme, he’s made a number of positive changes to his life, successfully quitting smoking, starting to play regular football again and enrolling on a barbering course – gaining valuable experience through a work placement.

“I have a recovery network around me now, which I never had before. There are now people I can pick up the phone up to, rather than pick up a bottle or can.

“I had done three home detoxes before, and even attended a rehab in Cornwall once. However, once successfully completing treatment, I always relapsed within four months because my life lacked structure and routine afterwards.

“Without getting involved with Active Choices, I’m confident that history would have repeated itself and I would have relapsed.

“I am happy and content with life. I see my family every week and most importantly my kids are happy to see me, my daughter told me how proud she was of the changes I’ve made.

“I’m like anybody else, I have good and bad days. However, now I know how to deal with a bad day, I pick up the phone to people within my recovery network.”

Active Choices