£1m addiction recovery centre opens in Birmingham

A NEW £1m centre to help people recovering from drugs and alcohol addiction has been completed in Birmingham.

Recovery Central, the brainchild of social enterprise and charity Changes UK, is one of the largest venues of its kind ever built in the UK and provides a one-stop shop for the recovery community.

The 50,000 sq ft facility in Digbeth includes a new café/restaurant, the city’s first dry bar, business incubation space and a multi-purpose conference centre.

Funded by Public Health England, the new centre also houses three social enterprises started by people who have been supported by the charity, a gardening business, building company, plus a state-of-the-art recording studio and a radio station. It will also house the organisation’s 31-strong team.

The revenue generated through the different activities will be channelled into the work of the charity, whose aim is to become fully self-financing while continuing to support more than 200 people every year to overcome their addictions.

Founder Steven Dixon, who beat a 15-year addiction with alcohol and drugs to establish Changes UK, said: “This is a massive milestone in our nine-year history and will help us deliver our sector leading support to even more people.

“Our service works because it is peer-led (by people who have been in similar situations and come through them) and focuses not only on tackling the problems, but also giving individuals support and opportunities once they are in recovery.

“This has resulted in the vast majority of our clients (78%) staying clean and building new lives, a staggering success rate when you consider the national average is just 8%. It’s all about connection, empowerment and raising aspirations by giving them access to training, volunteering and employment.”

Changes UK provides a detox service, residential and community-based rehabilitation, supported and move on recovery housing and opportunities to gain qualifications or vital work experience.

Service users at the beginning of their recovery journey are supported 24-hours a day by qualified staff and specially trained peer mentors, with the next step being to embark on the eight-week Recovery Academy.

The official opening of Recovery Central will take place on May 13, with Rosanna O’Connor, Director of Alcohol, Drugs and Tobacco at Public Health England giving a keynote address.