Getting to know members of the U.K. Recovery Walk, Cardiff 2011 organizing team

The logo and strap line for the 10th September U.K. Recovery Walk, Cardiff 2011 event will be shared with you soon. Both logo and strap line are one, incidentally; so watch this space.

In the meantime, the organizers thought it might be a good idea if we introduced some members of our team to you – with an open invitation for anyone, anywhere who’s interested in helping us, to join us.

This is your recovery walk, and it’s inclusive and welcoming of everyone. If you say you’re in recovery or have an interest in recovery, that’s good enough for us. And don’t forget to bring your family members, friends and supporters along with you. After all, isn’t everyone throughout the world in recovery from some condition, state or other?

The 10th September U.K. Recovery Walk, Wales 2011 is going to be a day of celebration; a fun day and an unforgettably inspirational day as we put ‘faces and voices’ to recovery and become worthy advocates for the attractive reality of recovery.

And don’t forget that the Recovery Walk is, in essence, a civil rights issue and will go a long way towards countering the considerable amount of prejudice, discrimination and stigmatization of people with addiction and mental health problems that still exists in society.

Here we go then, with event organizing team member number 1: Sarah Williams

Sarah Williams is Service Manager for the Peer Mentoring Service in Cardiff and the Vale. She began working in the substance misuse sector in late 2009. Previously she worked in ‘welfare to work’ services where her passion for supporting people with barriers to employment came alive. She really enjoyed supporting people back into mainstream society, and tackling the stereotypes and judgments that are made by local communities. The Recovery Walk is important to Sarah, as the Peer Mentoring Service is about empowering service users to realize the power of their personal recovery, and be proud of whom they are.

Now Sarah would like to hear from you if you’re planning to visit Cardiff for the Recovery Walk on Saturday, 10th September. In order to register for the walk and to receive further information, send an email to

welshrecoverywalk@gmail.com or gobaithatgerdded@gmail.com

And they’re coming from all over the world…!

This morning we received confirmation that John Shinholser founder and president of the McShin foundation a leading non-profit, full-service Recovery Community Organization in Richmond, Virginia, and his wife, co-founder, Carol McDaid are coming to Cardiff specifically to join the Recovery Walk.

Big John will convey a bigger message from our friends in America. So be there to listen to John’s impressive message, the result of 28 years in recovery

The four "D"s - Death, Divorce, Debt, and Depression

I'm more convinced than ever that my alcoholism and drug addictions were a smoke screen for the BIG one that mucks up most peoples' lives: our addiction to People, Places & Things. Most of my shit comes from this BIG one. Recovery is about trusting the Higher Power to help us detach from its claws and it's consequences: Death (in its myriad manifestations); Divorce; Debt: and Depression. The 4 Ds!



That's why Christmas is such a season of joy (for most people) - because the story of the Nativity defies Nature; defies logic. And therein lies the Hope that, no matter how hopeless, dismal or despairing our situation, a miracle can happen and fundamentally transform everything.



That miracle, incidentally, has already happened to those who are in recovery from drug and alcohol dependency. Why not join them on 'the road to happy destiny'?