VIP visitors for alcohol and drug-recovery centre

AN East Durham centre which helps recovering drug addicts and people with alcohol problems has had a special visit.
RECOVERING ... The Lord Lieutenant of Durham, Sue Snowdon, centre, and Bishop of Jarrow, the Revd Mark Bryant, left, meet staff and members of the Public Health Recovery Academy.RECOVERING ... The Lord Lieutenant of Durham, Sue Snowdon, centre, and Bishop of Jarrow, the Revd Mark Bryant, left, meet staff and members of the Public Health Recovery Academy.
RECOVERING ... The Lord Lieutenant of Durham, Sue Snowdon, centre, and Bishop of Jarrow, the Revd Mark Bryant, left, meet staff and members of the Public Health Recovery Academy.

The Bishop of Jarrow – the Right Revd Mark Bryant – and Lord Lieutenant of Durham, Sue Snowdon, went to see the work done by staff at the Public Health Recovery Academy in Peterlee.

The NHS-funded centre, run by Durham County Council, was set up to enable recovery from drug and alcohol dependency.

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Opened in December 2011, the academy is the first of its kind in the region and delivers a 12-step recovery model, based on the original 12 steps of Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous, to enable recovery from addiction.

The visit by the Bishop of Jarrow and the Lord Lieutenant followed a service held at Durham Cathedral several weeks ago for recovering addicts.

Bishop Mark, who has worked with the academy for some time and took the service, said: “It was probably the most remarkable service I have ever attended at Durham Cathedral.

“What was most remarkable was the openness and honesty that they showed.

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“I vividly remember one of them saying that the first thing he was told when he went to the recovery community was ‘we will love you until you start to love yourself’, which goes to the heart of what we all need as human beings.

“I suggested to the Lord Lieutenant that she should meet what are the most remarkable group of people I know in the North East.

“They know what it is like to hit rock bottom and show an openness and honesty. It is a remarkable story.”

Lord Lieutenant Sue Snowdon added: “The people were very open and honest about their previous lives, and how they are trying to turn their lives around.

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“The centre is about helping people who have come to the very depths, and the centre allows them to share experiences and know that they are not alone.

“I am very impressed by the project. It has been an inspirational and motivational experience.” Dot Turton, area manager of North East Council on Addictions (NECA), said: “The visit means so much.

“The people that who have been in addictive addiction for years at times have been shunned by society and have lost just about everything, including friends and family.

“To have people show an interest in their lives boosts their self-esteem and their confidence, which ultimately helps their recovery.”

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