Ten years of ‘A Spire Right’

‘A Spire Right’, the substance misuse recovery programme delivered by the Trust, has now been running for ten years.

Oli Barnes is one of the organisers of the programme, with sessions running three times a week, in eight-week blocks. 

Outlining the importance of the sessions, Oli said: “It’s trying to change a mindset and implementing a routine into people’s lives who are battling with recovery. We have guys who’ve been coming for a while who act as peer supporters. If you’ve done one block of sessions, it doesn’t mean you can’t come back.

“Some guys who we’ve had need that support and that arm around them a bit, and they need that routine in their life. When people come for their first few sessions, the peer supporters are vital because they welcome the new guys with open arms.”

The programme has been running for ten years, with Oli being involved in delivering the sessions for nine of those years. Explaining how the programme has developed, he said: “It’s changed a lot over the years, learning as we go and now it is kind of client-led.

“We tend to focus on what the clients like to do, and what keeps them active, keeps them physically engaged. And the whole programme has gone from strength to strength.”

In a recent session, participants were taught vital life skills by CSALS (Community Save a Life Scheme). Oli explained: “We had somebody who came and delivered a first-aid course. They came and did a morning’s first aid and our participants got certificates at the end of it. These are the things that I think everybody should know.”

Providing some more details about the programme, Oli said: “Derbyshire County Council fund us, so they give us a certain amount of money to run four cohorts a year, so that’s four blocks of eight weeks, and we spread those out throughout the year.

“It’s a non-self-referral programme – you have to be referred by a key worker, drug worker, social worker, or a medical professional. They come and meet us beforehand, to put a face to a name, so they know where they’re coming to and they meet two familiar people.”