More than 80 people gathered at The Abbey Centre in Westminster on 21 September for an afternoon of storytelling, connection and reflection, celebrating the life-changing impact of recovery from addiction.
Hosted by Taking Action on Addiction, a campaign of The Forward Trust, the event brought together people with lived experience, some having been supported by a Forward Trust service. Guests also included a number of recovery advocates, including Forward Chair Tony Adams MBE, and campaign supporters from across the UK.
The event focus was the importance of conversation for addiction recovery. Through honest conversations and personal stories, attendees helped bring to life this year's campaign theme, The Big Addiction Conversation, to life right in the heart of London.
The campaign aims to encourage more open and honest conversations about addiction, challenge stigma and give people the confidence to talk about addiction, whether with a family member, friend, colleague or someone in their wider community. The aim is to spark 17,000 conversations about addiction as a mark of recognition for the same number of lives sadly lost every year due to drug- and alcohol-related causes.
At the heart of the campaign is a set of 50 Conversation Cards, co-designed with Forward Trust Lived Experience Ambassadors and people who have accessed addiction support services. The cards are designed to make it easier to start meaningful conversations about addiction and recovery.
Highlights from the event included:
Powerful and inspiring recovery stories from Nisha and Curtis, creating opportunities for collective celebration, reflection and connection.
Reflections from former Observer Home Affairs Editor John Simpson, who reminded attendees that while recovery can be challenging, there is always room for humour, hope and joy.
A practical session from Maddie, Director of the Recovery Street Film Festival, showing how anyone can tell their recovery story using nothing more than a smartphone.
Every person in the room brought something different, whether through their experiences, insights or recovery journey, which many reflected was not always easy or perfectly linear. What united everyone was a shared commitment to helping others find hope, support and recovery.
Bringing the afternoon to a close, Tony Adams, spoke about the importance of conversation in recovery, encouraging attendees to continue sharing their experiences and helping others feel able to seek support.
Events like this demonstrate the power of lived experience to challenge stigma and create meaningful change. Through conversation, storytelling and connection, people can help others feel less alone and more able to reach out for support.
Want to be part of The Big Addiction Conversation?
For more information about Forward Connect and supporting our lived experience community, please consider the below:
🔗 Recovery Support at The Forward Trust
📧 recovery.support@forwardtrust.org.uk
Find out about our new campaign activities including how you can get involved in community events, social media and lending your voice to effect change.
Help change how Britain talks about addiction. Sign up to get involved, start conversations and support the campaign.