Recovery Festival

A packed Woodland Church in Clifton was home to the second Recovery Festival, a true celebration of recovery in action.

Service users and family members shared their inspirational stories in front of a rapt audience, who also enjoyed music and poetry and the chance to meet others and learn about services. People shared their personal viewpoints on recovery by hanging a note on the 'positive thoughts' tree and the gorgeous weather provided the ideal opportunity to mingle and relax with a fabulous complimentary lunch and browse the fresh produce stall from the Teve recovery growing project.

The Cocaine Anonymous pantomime was another highlight of the free event with a unique take on Jack and the Beanstalk!

AWP recovery worker Kim Hewlett was delighted with how the day went. "It's been nine months in the making and the inter-agency committee have been so focused and never lost their energy. All the speakers and entertainers have been so fantastic. To see people come through the service and then to see them up there on the stage telling their story is just overwhelming and it gives me goosebumps to see what a huge success the day has been!"

Kim, Viv Norton, Vicki Bakehouse and Penny Stanbury from AWP, along with colleagues from Bristol Drugs Project, Addiction Recovery Agency (ARA), Developing Health & Independence (DHI) and Crisis Centre Ministries, organised the festival with the support of Acu-Detox Plus UK and Chandos. This year's festival was also supported by City Sightseeing Bristol who provided a free shuttle bus.