Building the capacity and enhancing the effectiveness of substance misuse services by -
linking volunteers to agencies, agencies to training and communities to services
HEROINE DAY!
Yes Friday 18th September was the opening of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, but, it also marked the first NewLink Wales Heroine Day – a day designed to start a conversation about the harms caused by drugs and alcohol and also a celebration of the heroic efforts of achieving recovery. We didn’t deliberately choose for Heroine Day to coincide with the Rugby World Cup, but with the drinking culture attached to a lot of sporting events, and with there being around 30,000 referrals and 596 alcohol and drug related deaths in Wales in one year, the coincidence certainly provided an opportunity to start a conversation about substances.
Our service users are often on the receiving end of relentless stigmatisation, but we have found that peoples’ opinions are changing. People are beginning to understand that addiction is not a lifestyle choice and that it can literally happen to anyone.
Heroine Day had fantastic support! It gave us the chance to talk to people who we wouldn’t ordinarily have had access to and it’s been really encouraging. Lots of local businesses, community groups and individuals either dressed as their favourite superhero or bought a wristband. ,/
Anyone can get involved in Heroine Day - schools, churches, businesses, colleges, pubs – so if you’d like a bit of fun in the workplace, for more information on how you can get involved in Heroine Day 2016, contact Sue O'Brien via email or call 02920 529002
The impact the money raised will have includes building the resilience of young people, reducing crime, tackling addiction, preventing relapse, improving the health of communities, tackling exclusion and improving peoples’ chances of gaining employment.
Most people can’t give up chocolate, and with the rise in psychoactive drugs changing the drug scene so rapidly, imagine what it’s like to give up some of the substances that are now available! However hard it is though, people are achieving it every day and it’s the most brilliant and positive thing. We believe it’s time to highlight the fact that many people rebuild their lives and achieve their recovery. Heroes – all of them!
