Over the past 12 years Red Rose Recovery has gone from strength to strength, spreading roots across the North West. We asked them to share their story.
A need to nurture
Founded in 2012 to build recovery infrastructure in Lancashire, Red Rose Recovery has become nationally recognised as a pioneering organisation in developing recovery systems and creating opportunities for people affected by substance misuse, mental health and offending behaviours. RRR’s founding purpose was to provide employment opportunities to people marginalised by society, and the lived experience model is in RRR’s DNA – it now employs more than 120 people with experience of addiction, the criminal justice system, homelessness, or other complex issues. As a LERO, RRR staff’s relatable experience provides inspiration and hope to people who are struggling to find a way forward.
Core to RRR’s model is the relationship it creates with each individual – it offers inclusive, accessible, person-centred, trauma-informed and co-produced services with people at all stages of recovery and has a strong track record of collaborating with recovery community partners to enable new groups to emerge and grow. It recognises that the greater good of our communities is best served by having a broad range of groups and activities and is committed to building healthy community ecosystems across the UK – as shown by the infrastructure support provided to the emerging LERO and user forums across the North West.
Mike Wearden, managing director, Red Rose Recovery
Every voice is heard
As a true lived experience organisation, 97 per cent of Red Rose Recovery’s staff have lived experience of multiple disadvantages, with an organisational culture that believes in people and their capacity to change and grow. We help to advocate for those who are continually stigmatised and marginalised, with the aim of changing the narrative. Our community is one where every voice is heard, and those seeking treatment have a say in what their treatment looks like – a community where power is shared and learning passed on.
We have forged excellent relationships with commissioners in Lancashire and beyond, built on trust and mutual respect. Twelve years ago, Lancashire County Council public health commissioners took a leap of faith in establishing the Lancashire User Forum (LUF). Its aim was to give a voice to the voiceless and create a platform – not only for Red Rose Recovery to be born but for an independent space to thrive.
The LUF isn’t owned by anyone, it exists to serve the community and Red Rose Recovery merely lends its infrastructure to aid in its running. We have proved that the model can be replicated and is sustainable beyond the individual – and that by identifying leaders in other geographical areas, they can be nurtured and empowered to create change. Recovery is sustained when we reach back for those behind us. We have a responsibility to pass on what we have learned, to empower the community as a whole, to lend our infrastructure to those next in line, to support with training and development, and to help create seats at the tables of power.
Now we have established recovery communities in not only Lancashire, but also in Blackburn with Darwen and North Yorkshire, with other areas to follow soon. Our proven model, underpinned by belief from commissioners and involvement of the grass roots community, takes a lot of hard work, but the results are there for all to see.
Sarah O’Mara, RIO contract lead and team leader north, Red Rose Recovery
A successful model
The Lancashire User Forum (LUF), supported and underpinned by Red Rose Recovery (RRR), has been a model we have long aspired to see replicated across the country. My focus is on identifying spaces where individuals with lived/living experience and organisations can collaborate with us to build all-inclusive communities, and where people feel empowered to develop a strong sense of identity that provides them with a stake in society.
This identity is grounded in solid systems, processes, and resources, ensuring that individuals not only receive support but also become active participants in shaping it. We foster meaningful relationships, challenge stigma, and create pathways for both personal and collective growth.
Our emphasis on the Five Ways to Wellbeing – connect, be active, take notice, keep learning, and give – ensures that we are fostering holistic health and wellbeing. We focus on the strengths and potential of individuals and communities, rather than on deficits. The LUF model, with its emphasis on collaboration and empowerment, has demonstrated significant success and our aim is to continue building supportive, inclusive systems that help people to thrive and contribute to their communities.
Peter Yarwood, director of strategic engagement and training, Red Rose Recovery
Spreading our roots
Roots Community is the Blackburn with Darwen recovery forum started up in May 2022 to support and mobilise the recovery community locally. Our co-produced aims are to connect those in recovery with others; improve engagement in activities that enhance wellbeing; empower the community through a voice in decision-making and service provision; provide opportunities through employment, training and volunteering; and inspire hope in those seeking recovery, professionals, family members and the wider community.
We do this through a calendar of ten regular weekly activities including community clean-ups, a guerilla gardening project, cooking, gym, fishing, goal-setting, music sessions and planning meetings. We also have representation at operational delivery group meetings, a place on the BwD Community Network Board and regularly involve Roots members in consultations with NHS, service providers, mystery shopping exercises and research projects that shape service delivery.
Our members are drawn from all stages of recovery/pre-recovery, with no requirement to be abstinent or subscribe to specific recovery models or activities. All we expect is mutual respect and adherence to reasonable behavioural boundaries.
Rolonde Bradshaw, team leader, Roots Community Recovery Forum
Let’s mobilise
Project FREE is a very small LERO in Bury, Greater Manchester which for nearly two years has been supporting men coming out of prison to resettle effectively in the community. It hasn’t been directly commissioned by any organisation or authority but has grown from local recovery networks. Several small public sector grants and private donations have enabled venue hire, refreshments and volunteer expenses to run drop-ins, group sessions and activities.
It came about because Bernard, the project co-ordinator, wanted to invest his own recovery capital in helping people stuck in a pattern of substance use and offending behaviour, as he was for many years. He used his friendships and connections to mobilise support and establish a monthly steering group for strategic direction.
So far so good for Project FREE – the power of lived experience in helping people make and sustain positive change is undeniable and learning from other LEROs like Acorn Recovery and Red Rose Recovery has been invaluable. These larger groups have a responsibility to incubate ‘micro-LEROs’ and create opportunities for people like Bernard and his volunteers. Perhaps we overthink how to incorporate lived experience into the overall system and should focus on creating an environment where relationships can grow and ideas can be put into action.
Tom Woodcock, Project FREE steering group member, chair of RRR board
A unique opportunity
North Yorkshire Connected Spaces is a LERO that sits under the umbrella of Red Rose Recovery. At the heart of every recovery journey is a story – one of resilience, struggle, and eventual triumph. As a LERO we are more than a support network – we are individuals who have walked the same path.
We believe that those who have lived through addiction and recovery are uniquely positioned to offer guidance, understanding and hope to those currently struggling – sharing experience fosters a deep sense of trust and connection. Each member of our team has faced the challenges of addiction, sought recovery, and is now dedicated to helping others. We understand the fear, uncertainty, and shame that can come with addiction – and we know the incredible transformation that recovery can bring. Research shows that peer support can significantly improve outcomes, increasing engagement, reducing relapse rates, and fostering long-term sobriety.
We offer hope to those who may feel isolated or hopeless. Moreover, as advocates, we work to change the narrative around addiction, shifting the focus from punishment to recovery, from stigma to support. Together, we can transform lives and communities, one story at a time.
Emma Plant, NYCS community engager
