July Updates
Bridge Celebrates 20 Years
Bridge is a LERO (Lived Experience Recovery Organisation) and is a member of CLERO (College of Lived Experience Recovery Organisations). The CLERO has 3 underlying principles:
Principle 1: LEROs are Informed by a primary relationship with their community and act in response to the needs and aspirations of their community, recognising and employing the assets and competencies that already exist.
Principle 2: Everything done in and by a LERO is informed through co-production
Principle 3: LEROs are informed by a Human Rights-based approach, including the right to live healthy lives.
We are proud to be part of this, and as a service which has just reached its 20th anniversary in Northamptonshire, we decided to celebrate this with 2 events.
Earlier in the year a staff member, Jono, suggested that we do something to celebrate this achievement. Whilst we had not considered it until this point, we recognised that we really should. It’s unnatural for us to hold an event about us – our focus on events has always been about what our members wanted from them and are led by their suggestions and ideas, hence why over the years we have had pantomimes, game shows, Bridge’s Got Talent, and Silent Disco’s amongst others.
When considering what to do for this event we decided that we would like our members to be front and centre of it. They are at the heart of everything we do and so we felt it was best for the people who use the service to talk about how we may have played a part in their recovery journey.
Agency Event
Our event consisted of 6 members telling their story, and 3 giving a performance – a singer, a poet and a saxophonist, to an audience of around 80 people including the Mayor of Rushden and the Mayor of Northampton, as well as many professionals from some of the amazing services that have supported us and our members over the years, and who have contributed to helping people in recovery to lead healthy and happy lives, which was fantastic for us.
All 9 members were naturally nervous about talking and performing. Sometimes it’s hard for people to recognise how well they have done, or to display the talent that we can see they have, and it’s also hard sometimes for people to step out of their comfort zone – something we encourage people to do if we feel it may help them, particularly when it comes to improving their self-esteem and confidence.
What stood out was how different their individual recovery stories were, as well as their experience at Bridge – some used the gym, some the group sessions, others the music room for example. However, each included how being around others in recovery and being given opportunities to develop themselves in a positive environment was key. The peer support was clearly vital.
Russ, who told the audience that he had previously stopped playing the saxophone but was encouraged by our staff to pick it back up said, “I was invited to play saxophone to an audience of 80 plus at the Bridge 20th Anniversary event. I was nervous as I have never played to a large number of people but once I got up and played the first few notes the nerves disappeared. I received the most amazing feedback from lots of people. I noticed several cameras came out to video which in itself is a compliment. I was grateful for having been invited to play and it has improved my confidence tremendously.”
We heard some emotional recovery stories from members, including Peter who said “Being able to stand up in front of so many people to talk about my life, has given me confidence to speak about my experiences further. I got so much positive feedback, which has been amazing. My sister called me to say how proud she was that I stood up and talked about my story and how that may help others. I was proud to do that for Bridge. It’s fantastic to have all the support – the staff are brilliant. I believe we give people the self-esteem and confidence to achieve recovery’.
We also invited some media to attend and were delighted when they were keen to be involved in our event. Izzy from BBC Radio Northampton, who has really supported us with promoting the service to a wider audience, and Steve and Mousumi from BBC Look East, who were really encouraging to us about what they had seen and heard on the day. They interviewed some staff and members, and the following day Bridge was featured on the radio and there was a story on BBC Look East. We have received some amazing feedback from people, and the TV clip has been seen nearly 12,000 times on our Facebook page which has really blown us away. Recently someone has got in touch to offer an electric guitar and a bass guitar, as the impact music has on people in recovery stood out for them.
Leon, who was on BBC Look East said “I was grateful for the opportunity to talk about my recovery. It’s helped with my self-esteem and confidence. Whilst these things are daunting, I pushed myself to do this. The messages of support from people who have seen this, and how people have talked about how inspiring it was to see me do well, has again given me confidence. I have so much love and gratitude for Bridge, I was pleased to be able to contribute to the day. When my mum saw the clip, she was so proud and it brought her to tears – she’s showing everyone the video, I’m glad she’s talking about me with pride!”
Kieran, who was also filmed said “I found the whole event very moving. Recounting my struggles and going over them again was an eye-opener as I had forgotten much of what went on because I have moved on so much and have really strong recovery behind me now. I am proud to be involved with Bridge and get to work alongside the staff, members and other volunteers.
I find it difficult to talk about my story but can recognise the value of that and the part peer support plays in mine and others’ recovery.
I was on BBC Look East and was proud to talk about Bridge and how it helps people – including me!”
We would like to take the opportunity to again thank all those who came, but especially to those 9 brave, amazing members who had the courage to stand in front of a room full of people and give us an insight into their lives. Thank you all.
Members Event
The following day we held a 20th Anniversary event for our members. Over 100 people packed into our Northampton centre from around the county. It didn’t matter which part of the county you were from; all are part of the wider recovery community. The love and support for each other was visible, and we had an amazing day.
The day consisted of: Bonkers Bingo (the bingo where you need to be loud and dance!), a game show, a Silent Disco and food. It was fun from start to finish, with members, volunteers and staff interacting and enjoying each other’s company – it really was a party and celebration. Feedback was amazing, with many commenting about how grateful they are that they have the opportunities to do things like this sober. Members’ comments included, ‘Great day, great company. Loved it’, ‘Had a great time and a great dance, with great people. Roll on another 20 years!’, ‘Congratulations on 20 years, what a fantastic achievement, great organisation, keep up the amazing work!’
You can also view all the videos and articles on our Facebook page, just search for Bridge Substance Misuse Programme.
Bridge Poetry Book
Our members are now published poets!
Our poetry group started as an online group during the lockdowns and has steadily grown into a vibrant, weekly gathering. Members can attend in- person or attend online.
Each week, we come together to share our own poems, read pieces we love, or simply enjoy a cuppa and a chat. Over time, we noticed our writing evolving. So, we decided it was time to share it.
This book brings together a selection of poems written over the past year. Every piece reflects a part of our journey, offering insight, connection, and hope.
The book is available on Amazon, priced at £3.86 and you can find it by searching for:
Bridge: Poetry Selection: Volume 1
Please support us by placing this book in your services or homes!
Volume 2 is already in progress! Well done to all involved!
Wellingborough Allotment
The allotment continues to thrive, and the members are really seeing the benefits of all their hard work.
We’ve had an amazing harvest, lots of lovely potatoes, French and runner beans, cabbages and courgettes, that are all available in the cafe for members to take home!
They also supplied the Northampton café with lots of potatoes, which our chef Angela was delighted with!
The sunflowers continue to grow and will be ready for our competition soon!
Volunteer day out
A massive thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers!
This month, we took some of our volunteers to Stoke Bruerne for the day to say thank you for all of their help and dedication.
We started the day off with a lovely boat trip through the Blisworth tunnel where we learnt lots about the history of the tunnel and surrounding area. Thank you to Mike and Paul from the Stoke Bruerne Boat Company for a lovely time!
We then had a picnic in the sun and some of the volunteers had a walk down the canal and a coffee or ice cream.
We have so much gratitude to all of our volunteers, who contribute to the service greatly. Many of our members have existing skills and talents, and we take a strengths-based approach, encouraging volunteers to utilize these skills and ability.
There are so many roles that a volunteer can fill: Peer Mentor, café assistant, Receptionist, music teacher, therapy session leader, group leader, cleaner, Recovery Worker, and many more. If you or someone you’re working with would like to volunteer with us, then you can apply on our website.
