The peer-led recovery initiative North Wales Recovery Communities (NWRC, located in Bangor, is clearly very special, as evidenced by the number of people who have found long-term recovery there. But what is it about this initiative that makes it work? Here is what Rob Havelock and Lianne Jones think about this matter.
What Makes NWRC Work? Rob Havelock & Lianne Jones [3 Films, 7’28”]
When Rob first walked through the doors at Penrhyn House, he went there just for himself. He says this is exactly what you must do initially. However, you’ve then got to leave that attitude behind and get stuck into the ethos of the community. Rob believes the words ‘Community’ and ‘We’ are so important. In community, members are all fighting the same fight, so why not do it together?
In her early days at Penrhyn, people there loved Lianne when she didn’t love herself. They gave her encouragement that she had never previously received. All the good things she experienced added up over time and helped her get more and more involved in the community. Whilst she realised that people at Penrhyn cared about her, it was really hard to take compliments when people in her past had always been negative about her.
Rob says there are always opportunities to try new stuff at NWRC, outdoors or indoors. ’That’s the beauty of it. We don’t know what tomorrow brings.’ Wulf describes it as a ‘safe place to do the uncomfortable.’ New members bring now hobbies. Wulf never thought nine years earlier thought that community members would be doing gong sound baths today. Rob now loves it when members push each other into trying new things.