Tony Adams’ Chair of Trustee’s Roadshow – second update – from Liverpool to Essex
Having started in the role of Chair of Trustees back in February, Tony Adams, ex-England and Arsenal captain, has been joining Mike Trace, CEO of The Forward Trust, on several visits across England and Wales.
It’s been a great opportunity for Tony – as seen in his first roadshow update – to get closer to the people who both use and deliver our services.
Visit 3 – Liverpool (SHARP and The Brink) – 16 June
In the morning, Tony and Mike went to SHARP, our day treatment programme in the heart of Liverpool. With the opportunity to meet staff and discuss their treatment approach, Tony was then invited into a closed meeting with service users to learn more about the life-changing work provided. When Tony first started in February, SHARP celebrated its 20th year in service – a landmark feat for a small service that has gone on to become a cornerstone recovery service in the city.
In the afternoon, Tony took a short walk to The Brink, our unique and much-loved recovery café, meeting staff and getting to know more about the inspiring work they provide – including family, drug and alcohol, and gambling support.
Media interviews followed with ITV Calendar and BBC Radio Merseyside, helping to shine a light on both services and Tony’s new role at Forward.
The evening was then a chance for Tony to witness one of our important fundraising events, this being the launch of our ‘Friends of The Brink’ network. This invite-only event welcomed guests from the city and also Liverpool FC footballing legend, John Barnes.
The event provided a showcase for Forward and The Brink to celebrate recovery stories – as heard from Paula’s share at the event – to allow guests to hear about the transformative impact recovery can have on their lives, otherwise stuck in the harmful cycle of active addiction, prison and ongoing criminality.
We’re very grateful to all those who attended and signed up to be a Friend of The Brink – if you are interested in being one too, email companies@forwardtrust.org.uk.
Visit 4 – Margate (The Emma Urquhart Cup football match) – 28 June
Earlier in the year, Tony visited our Thanet Hub (Margate) and met with the local LERO called Reach Out and Recover (ROAR) Kent.
Having made such a strong impression on his visit, he was then invited to attend a pre-planned charity football match (28 June) in honour of Emma Urquhart – a former member of staff and volunteer at ROAR Kent.
Tony agreed to attend, but rather than watching, he decided to lace up his famous boots and play over 70 minutes of the game, his first public football match in over 20 years!
Our thanks to all those who organised the game and to Margate FC for staging this at their amazing ground, Hartsdown Park.
Visit 5 – Essex (HMP Chelmsford and Southend) – 12 August
His most recent visit was one closer to heart for Tony, where he visited HMP Chelmsford – the prison he spent 4 months back in 1990.
We were grateful to Channel 4 News for accompanying Tony and Mike on this visit, which was a poignant experience for Tony – the first time he had gone back onto the wings.
This time it was different, with Tony proudly noting the specialist support from recovery services, like The Forward Trust, that is now more commonly available to prisoners in the UK.
This was not just a personal visit; Tony and Mike had the pleasure of meeting Governor Howard and staff during a reception of over 70 serving prisons, where he spoke from the heart about his time in Chelmsford and the hope that is now available for recovery.
In order to highlight the journey from prison-based recovery to community services, Tony and Mike then attended a special event at STARS Southend.
Tony met staff for the first time, and was able to speak with service users and graduates about the excellent work that takes place, including Hep C testing, drug detox programmes and a needle exchange service.
To conclude his trip, Tony officially opened the new Brink Recovery Café – a fitting way to end his roadshow – highlighting how connection is often considered the antidote to addiction. We hope the café will provide a valuable meeting place for Southend’s recovery community.