Clients and staff from a residential rehab facility in Erskine will take part in an event which aims to reduce the stigma of addiction and celebrate those who have recovered.
The group from Abbeycare will attend the annual Recovery Walk, organised by the Scottish Recovery Consortium (SRC), in Greenock on Saturday, September 23.
The event is designed to make recovery from substance use disorders more visible and accessible. Last year, more than 4,000 people attended the event, which was held in Paisley.
It will include a procession, speeches from people in recovery, live music, and a rose ceremony to remember those who have died from substance use or suicide.
Official statistics show there were 1,051 drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2022, and 1,276 deaths specifically related to alcohol.
Figures released by the Scottish Government last week also show suspected drug deaths increased by seven per cent between January and June this year when compared to the same period in 2022.
As part of its supervised rehabilitation and detoxification programmes, Abbeycare offers extensive aftercare, recovery care planning and family support.
It also provides counselling to help people address the issues behind their addictions, as well as harm reduction interventions.
The Erskine centre accepts admissions from across Scotland, including both private patients and local authority referrals.
We previously reported how Abbeycare recently held its own Recovery Gathering in Renfrew, which brought together current and former clients, their family and friends, and those who have supported them.
A similar event will take place at its clinic in Gloucester on Sunday, September 24.
The events are being held to mark National Recovery Month in September, which is designed to increase awareness and understanding of substance use disorders and celebrate people who recover.
Liam Mehigan, Abbeycare operations director and a former board member of SRC, said: "We are delighted to have the opportunity to attend this year's Recovery Walk for Scotland taking place in Inverclyde.
"It gives people a chance to celebrate those in recovery and all they have achieved, as well making recovery visible. The event will also offer a space to remember those who have been lost.
"This event is all the more poignant as we mark National Recovery Month and following recent publications around drug and alcohol deaths.
"Abbeycare, along with many other industry professionals and organisations, will attend to remind people of the ongoing support we can offer as we seek to be part of the solution to Scotland’s substance use problems."
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here