Nearly 1,000 people are currently receiving support for drug and alcohol problems in Swindon, as people in recovery, their families and those who support them came together for a celebration in the Town Gardens.
The Recovery Festival at the Town Gardens Bowl was held as part of Recovery Month, bringing together people who have experienced addiction alongside organisations helping them rebuild their lives.
Among those sharing their story was Swindon Borough Councillor Simon Howard from Reform UK, who spoke publicly about his own battle with depression and alcohol addiction a few years ago, after leaving the British Army.
Cllr Howard, who served for 24 years and left as a warrant officer class one, described struggling with the transition from military to civilian life and turning increasingly to alcohol as he experienced depression and anxiety.
“What started off with just the odd drink on an evening, trying to suppress my thoughts and feelings and put a smile on my face for my wife and family, slowly took over my life,” he told those gathered at the event.
He described hiding alcohol from his family, initially around his home and eventually outdoors while pretending to walk his dog.
“I knew this wasn’t right. I told myself every day it was wrong, but I just couldn’t help myself,” he said.
“That’s what addiction is. It takes hold of you, it takes a grip of you and it takes you down a road that you don’t belong on.”
Cllr Howard said Change Grow Live, known as CGL, became an important part of his recovery.
“The door was open at CGL for me, but I had to walk through it,” he said.
“I had to face some cold, hard truths about myself. Instead of masking depression with alcohol, you have to stop drinking alcohol to face exactly what the problem is and why you’re drinking.”
He eventually entered rehabilitation and spoke about the difficulty of withdrawal and confronting the reasons behind his drinking.
He said finding a new sense of purpose became an important part of rebuilding his life, including learning creative skills and making wax sculptures, before eventually deciding to stand for election to Swindon Borough Council.
His experience was one of a number of recovery stories being shared at the event.
June Watson, deputy service manager at Change Grow Live in Swindon, said the organisation currently has a caseload of just under 1,000 people in the town.
She said:
“We’re here today to celebrate with families and some of our service users who are in recovery, or people who come and use our service, and the local community, to share their recovery stories.”
The charity works with adults experiencing problems involving alcohol and a wide range of drugs, including heroin and other opiates, cocaine, crack cocaine, ketamine and benzodiazepines.
Ms Watson said there was no single type of person who needed the service, with addiction affecting people across different ages and backgrounds.
“It can be anything really,” she said.
“People could have had a bereavement, or it could be that they’ve found themselves from a young age where their drug use has escalated and they then feel that they want to reach out for some help.
“We have somebody who’s just going through a detox in their 80s, and we have people coming to our service who are adults from around 20 years old.
“It’s across the whole breadth of our society in Swindon.”
Councillor Vinay Manro, cabinet member for adult services, said the event was an opportunity to celebrate people who had come through difficult periods in their lives.
“Today is about celebrating those who have come through some tough pathways and found a new pathway,” he said.
“We need to celebrate people who have succeeded on a new journey, a change in their journey.
“We’ve got people sharing their lived experience and we’ve got all the services behind that which help and support them and make a change to people in Swindon.”
He said the council-backed service was also about intervening before people’s circumstances reached crisis point.
“This is all about early intervention, reaching people before they get into crisis mode and supporting them on a journey through to recovery,” he said.
Another speaker at the event highlighted the wider impact addiction can have on families, friends and communities, and the importance of bringing those groups together alongside support services.
They said: “I think about people that have been through the journeys and come through the services that we deliver here in Swindon.
“I also think about the families, their significant others and the community at large.
“This is our town, this is Swindon. When we come together in places like this to celebrate recovery, it’s an amazing opportunity to think back on the things that we’ve been able to achieve because we’ve come together as a community to support one another.”
For Cllr Howard, speaking publicly about his own experience was also about challenging the stigma which can surround addiction.
He urged anyone struggling to seek support, while acknowledging that deciding to begin recovery ultimately had to come from the individual.
“Walk through the doors of CGL if you haven’t already, or if you know someone who’s struggling, just hold their hand and take them in there,” he said.
“No one’s going to judge them.”
Cllr Howard said his own experience with depression and alcohol addiction was several years ago and that, after years of sobriety, he now wants to use that experience to reach out to people who may be struggling and raise awareness of the support provided by CGL.
He also believes more needs to be done to stop people reaching the point where they require treatment, saying addiction is an increasing problem for Swindon and places pressure on local resources.
“We need to try to prevent addiction, not just cure it,” he said.
Reflecting on the decision to speak so openly about his past, Cllr Howard added:
“It wasn’t easy to revisit my past, but if it helps someone then it’s worth it.”
Change Grow Live’s Swindon Drug and Alcohol Service is based at 4 Temple Chambers, Temple Street, Swindon. People can approach the service themselves and friends or family members can accompany them to their first appointment.
