Edinburgh Recovery Community Support Report

Hi, folks.

First of all, a big thank you to everyone who took part in the survey, focus groups, discussions and the event. Your thoughts and opinions have been invaluable and will serve as a great foundation for where we go from here.

The findings from the research period painted a picture of what the Edinburgh recovery community feels needs to happen next. Essentially: open 7 days a week, central, fixed location, a safe place staffed in large part by those in recovery which provides personal development opportunities.

Click here for the report covering the whole research process, the findings and the recommendations for what will happen next. The recommended next steps in the report were agreed at the Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug Partnership (EADP) Core Group meeting on 11th March.

One of the most exciting things this means is that more money will be allocated to the future project. In the past, the EADP had been supporting Serenity to the sum of £60,000 a year. However, based on the needs for the new project and the strong case made by all involved, this funding has been increased to £175,000. Along with this sum, we’re aiming to find complementary funding streams to further support the project.

It’s a complex project and there needs to be considerable planning and appropriate structures put in place. It needs to be robust, and sustainable, so it’s going to require time and continued input from the recovery community. We’re hoping that about this time next year , the new project will open its doors for the first time.

Of course we need to be doing something else in the meantime! What came across strongly in the research was the importance of the social aspect of the recovery community. The sense of safety, friendship, opportunity and community at Serenity made a massive difference to many people.

So EVOC, working in partnership with people and organisations across Edinburgh, are starting to put together a programme of recovery inspired and focused events, activities, outings, groups and opportunities. The hope is to get this off the ground as soon as possible, with consistent input from the recovery community. We’ll be looking for ideas of what could be held or organised in the coming weeks and months. The community has a fantastic wealth of talent and we want to encourage members to come forwards with any skills or ideas they’d like to share. The community’s input has been instrumental in getting this far and will continue to be central in shaping both the interim and the longer term project.

Please get in touch with any ideas or questions – you can put comments on the e-mail, give me a call or I can come and meet you.

Mike McCarron
[email protected]
0131 555 9100