Members of 5 WAYS, volunteers and staff from 5 WAYS and Forward Leeds had a great time at the national #RecoveryWalk in Newcastle on Saturday 17 September.
As well as joining hundreds of other people from across the country, celebrating recovery on a walk through the city centre, they enjoyed a mini-festival with performances and events in Exhibition Park.
Building Recovery in Communities Worker Carla Carr from 5 WAYS organised the Leeds trip to Newcastle. Carla said: “For me personally, as someone in recovery, the Walk is one of the highlights of my year. Seeing so many people from across the country coming together in one place to celebrate what they have achieved is wonderful. It shows to me that people in recovery from substance issues are not only surviving but thriving.”
The walk went through Newcastle city centre, down the main shopping street Northumberland Street, past Grey’s Monument and back along Percy Road to Exhibition Park.
The event at the park featured a host of performers on stage as we all as a Community Village, a Healing Village and a Kids area.
The national UK Recovery Walk has been running since 2008 and is organised by FAVOR UK – Faces and Voices of Recovery. It hasn’t taken place for two years due to the COVID pandemic. The walk is a national event celebrating recovery from alcohol and/or drugs. The focus of the UK Recovery Walk is a public education and outreach campaign that communicates by offering living proof of the reality of long-term addiction recovery.
– thanks to Sally and Mhairi for sharing their photos with us.