From the depths of addiction to finding a way back and volunteering at Blackpool Recovery Hub

Recovering addicts who spent years struggling in the depths of drink and drug addiction have spoken of how an amenity in Blackpool has given them a priceless lifeline.

Blackpool Recovery Hub, on Church Street, opened in May last year, aimed at promoting wellbeing, building resilience and supporting reintegration into the community.

Crucially, it offers a welcoming, non-judgemental space for people recovering from alcohol, drug and gambling addictions; and offers a wide range of holistic recovery services and community re-integration programmes to help build fulfilling futures.

People volunteering at the Hub have their own very different stories to tell about how they found the road to recovery after some dark times.

Peter’s journey

Peter Holt’s journey is one of recovery, resilience and rebuilding a life with purpose; he has been free of drink or drugs for five-and-a-half years.

After a troubled childhood saw him becoming hooked on strong alcohol and amphetamines aged just 12, he found himself caught up in petty gang-related crime and eventually ending up in prison.

Peter, 39, to said: “I was drinking so much at 12, drinking myself to oblivion, that my liver started to fail, I ended up in a real mess. I was jaundiced and yellow and had to go to hospital, in a really serious condition.

“When I got out of hospital I stayed away from alcohol but I moved back to speed (amphetamine) and then later, became addicted to coke. I was trying to self medicate to deal with how I felt but it didn’t do any good.”

Years later, on the run from police, he had a moment of stark revelation when he realised his lifestyle was going to kill him. As a father of three young children he knew he had to quit for their sake,

He said: “I handed myself in and did time in prison, and while I was there I went on a few courses, I started mentoring, got involved in promoting mental health and fitness courses and I became a Samaritan. I wanted to change my life.”

Leaving prison, he threw away his old phone with his drug contacts and moved into supported recovery housing in a new town, Blackpool, where he knew nobody.

Having spent three years in prison as a peer support volunteer, he wanted to continue helping others, but worried that his criminal record, long-term unemployment and lack of confidence would prevent him from finding work.

The Recovery Hub gave Peter a fresh start. Beginning as a volunteer, he gained training, qualifications and confidence, eventually joining the Lived Experience Team and securing a paid role supporting others in recovery.

Today, he has his own client base, his own home and full-time employment, while enjoying regular weekends with his children.

He now facilitates the same dads’ group he once attended himself — a powerful reflection of how far he has come.

He added: “This Hub has been a huge help to me, it’s given me a routine and structure to things.

“I treated my volunteering role like it was a professional job, it’s given me so much and now I’m working.

“Meeting everyone here makes a massive difference because we’ve all been there and we know what it’s like.”

Cy’s journey to recovery

Cy Holt - no relation to his friend Peter - says that before finding the Recovery Hub, he struggled to find somewhere he truly felt understood.

Like Peter, he had a difficult and traumatic childhood in a home that didn’t feel safe, and a combination of peer pressure and wanting to blot out his feelings led him to taking drugs at an early age.

Eventually he became hooked on crack cocaine - a drug he had always vowed he would not take - after a traumatic incident.

Cy, 35, said: “It grabbed me by the scruff of the neck. It just took one go of it, when I was at a low moment, to get hooked on that. It was instant, it’s so addictive. And I was using crack for 10 years.”

But Cy told himself he had to quit after he was forced to attend his grandfather’s funeral in handcuffs, while on release from prison.

The shame he felt that day made him vow that he would change - and he began on his own road to recovery.

The Hub became a safe and welcoming place where he could connect with people who shared similar experiences, talk openly and find support.

Through counselling, recovery groups and community activities, he began to develop a stronger sense of purpose and a greater understanding of himself.

Now almost six years clean from drink and drugs, Cy has achieved goals he once thought were out of reach, including gaining his driving licence and preparing to move from recovery housing into his own home.

The Hub has helped him build strong friendships, confidence and self-belief.

Today, he is proud to be someone others can turn to — a friendly face who understands what people may be going through.

His advice is to take a chance, because you never know how positively things can turn out.

He said of the Hub: “The help this place gives people is a real eye-opener.

“I tried to put them forward for the Pride of Britain award but i just missed the deadline.”

Luke’s recovery journey

Luke spent his early years as a musician, living the life he had always dreamed of, but his relationship with alcohol gradually developed into dependency.

Eventually, he had to step away from music to try to get sober, but despite his efforts, he struggled to make lasting change.

His life began to turn around when he discovered recovery meetings and later the Recovery Hub, where he found support, connection and a sense of belonging.

Now nearly two years sober, Luke has transformed his own experience into a desire to help others.

During his recovery, he qualified as a meditation teacher and has since completed yoga teacher training with funding from the Recovery Hub.

Today, Luke teaches meditation and yoga at the Hub, as well as supporting the wider recovery community.

He describes his time at the Hub as particularly rewarding, giving him confidence, work experience, meaningful connections and a renewed sense of purpose.

His advice to anyone new to recovery is to get involved and try as many activities as possible.

For Luke, recovery is about much more than getting clean and sober — it is about rediscovering happiness, building connections and creating a meaningful life.

He said: “The key thing about the Recovery Hub is that it’s constant, you can keep going back and it’s so welcoming.

“If you go to rehab, no matter how good it is, once that course is over, you’re out of there. It’s not like that here - the power of connecting to people is amazing, every day it empowers you.”

For further information on Blackpool Recovery Hub please visit www.blackpoolrecoveryhub.co.uk, call 07483172384 or drop in at 258 Church Street, Blackpool, FY1 3TE. No appointment is necessary.