Steps2Recovery – The House of Lords

The trustees, staff and graduates of Steps2Recovery were honoured to be invited to co-host an event at the House of Lords on October 25th. Our organising partner was the All Party Parliamentary Group on 12 Step Recovery www.12stepsappg.com. The APPG is a neutral, cross-party forum established with the objective of encouraging learning on 12 Step recovery within Parliament; it was set up by Peers and MPs who want to influence policy around recovery from addiction. Their aim is to be at the forefront of conversations about addiction and the way it relates to healthcare and criminal justice issues.

Eighty guests came together to discuss the effectiveness of the the 12 Step Programme; parliamentarians in attendance included Dan Carden MP, Jess Philips MP, Lord Brooke and Lord Mancroft. Steps2Recovery’s Chair, Lesley Hart, made an impassioned speech about the challenges of addiction treatment provision in the Criminal Justice System and Steps2Recovery’s successful approach in spite of them, before handing over to former Steps client May. May charted her journey through childhood care, homelessness and prison before she arrived at Steps2Recovery. She explained to the visibly moved audience how her three months at Steps2Recovery had been transformational and how Steps had given her the tools with which to move forward and change her life – on leaving Steps2Recovery May went on to work with vulnerable addicts before qualifying and practicing as a psychotherapist. Other speakers followed, with Dan Carden and Lord Brooke re-stating the need to destigmatise addiction and the importance of treating it as a health related issue rather than a ‘weakness’ or moral failing.

Steps2Recovery was proud to be involved with the APPG in running this event, our message was powerfully delivered, positive connections were made and the effectiveness of our work and of the 12 Step programme itself was celebrated by everyone who attended.