This latest conversation in the Recovery Voices series is with our 9th contributor, Gary Rutherford of ARC Fitness in Northern Ireland. And it is a banger!
Interestingly, this film comes to us via a different route to the previous ones. All of which are with individuals and communities that David and I have known for many years. In this instance, Gary is a new friend to us. ARC’s outstanding recovery activity in Derry-Londonderry was bought to my attention via a colleague, as something I must hear about, and we should record. And they were not wrong.
In this interview with Gary, we have been able to capture so much about what has inspired us to do this series. We have a recovery leader, a champion, who has taken his own personal recovery journey and understanding, and transformed it into a vibrant and thriving recovery community. Gary and ARC, like many of the others in this series, just started doing what they knew to be needed and wanted, and what would work.
In this case, the Gary/ARC story is built upon a foundation of the role of physical activity and healthy being as cornerstones of strong recovery. It is a story of individuals and communities coming together and doing what they do despite, rather than as a consequence, of any commissioning or funding agenda. The tale captures how the momentum, numbers, and supporters grow and flourish. Gary then tells us the things that have enabled and been successful, and talks candidly of the challenges and obstacles.
This interview was a real pleasure to do. It brims with enthusiasm, passion, love, hope and joy. We hope you enjoy it. We hope that the fantastic work being done inspires others, as it has inspired us.