'The Sixth Drink & Drug News (DDN) National Service User Involvement Conference'

Hello Everyone, I hope that you are all as well, as you can be. I want to share with you my Report and experience of an event that 3 x UKRR Representatives: Jaine (me), Humphrey and Nick attended 'The Sixth Drink & Drug News (DDN) National Service User Involvement Conference';  which was held in the beautiful settings of 'The Motorcycle Museum'.

I will start by saying a big THANK YOU to James and Mel of DATUS, (DRUG ADDICTION TREATMENT USER SERVICE - info and links on Facebook page), for arranging places for us.

The event opened at 9:00 am and started at 10, ending around 3:30 pm. Outlining the walls were so many services advertising stands giving away free pens and arm bands and fluffy little faces and so much other great stuff that was just going on among all the people darting from stand to stand and then passing groups of people or two`s chatting and making contacts and plans for the future. THE PLACE WAS BUZZING LIKE A BEE HIVE. BUILDING THEIR HOMES & LIVES FOR THE FUTURE. It was absolutely brilliant to experience.

It was a little scary at first, meeting so many people, (over 500 people attended this event, between opening and finishing), as I arrived really early but as soon as Nick and Humphrey arrived I grabbed fliers/leaflets and off I went, Mooching and Mingling, doing the advertising and promoting thing. I had so much fun meeting so many new faces and a few people I had already met and interviewed for UK Recovery Radio.

I was arranging for people to chat to Nick - UKRR and also arranged a meet with James Sadler @ DATUS for a Guy from Dublin who was interested in finding a Peer Led Advocacy Group. Humphrey was also roaming around, arranging a few Interviews, I could see the excitement and enjoyment light up his face, Humphrey was in his Element :)

I felt the exact same way to be honest. I met a young guy from Harrogate who was really interested in joining UKRR and helping to promote us where he is, but also we can help him make his Music Group Idea, become reality, a really nice guy and I had a good chat with him about UKRR and what I do as a Volunteer Reporter and as a volunteer in general. Again we made another friend and contact. We got to listen to a few Key speakers, chaired by ALEX BOYT - Service User Involvement Officer-Camden, were:

1. Lee Collingham: Service User & Activist. Lee spoke about Challenging Stigma around Addiction and Treatment. Really good stuff he said and I found what he was saying had also happened to me so I could really empathize with him.
2. Steve Brinksman: A Family G.P. Steve spoke about How Drug & Alcohol Treatment should fit in with New Public Health Framework, using the Solar System to do so. It was very clever and thought out, entertaining and most of all Informative. As a G.P he made two cracking jokes about Pluto & the most joked about planet Uranus lol :) Everybody gave him a round of applause after that joke :)
3. Rosanna O`Connor: of The National Treatment Agency (NTA)/Department of Health. Rosanna spoke about The place Drug & Alcohol Treatment will be in Public Health England and from where it has come from up til now. She showed a few statistics and slides on the screen which raised a few Growls and Groans from in front of me and some very angry writing, on their note pads lol :) Great talk though again informative.

After those really interesting talks and some questions from the audience, I was really interested in seeing and finding out How the services there yesterday, including UKRR, were founded and made into reality, also How charities are made and How Community Interest Groups can be set up and what to look for and look out for. So Humphrey and I joined the workshop titled: The Successful Service User/Service User Led Group. A Very, Very, Very Interesting Presentation, even though we only saw the cut version as time was running away from us. We learnt some really great things from some already established Groups from around England.

1. Jez Francis: from SUSSED (Service User Strategy 4 Self Empowerment & Development) presented the workshop and gave us some great info to take away and start us off on our own little Recovery Mission lol :) Kevin is a very funny, down to earth & helpful guy, with great background knowledge on S.U Groups.
2. Peter from LUF (Lancashire User Forum) spoke about how to maintain your group and to help it "Survive and Thrive". We also heard from some S.U`s, Mags, Connor & a few others, also with LUF, who spoke about how they got involved and also about how strongly they feel about the fact, that there should be more S.U Led groups. This nearly brought the roof off, with the applause he so deserved, WELL DONE!! Connor-20 Years Old, LUF Member.

After all that excitement the best was yet to come. We had our lunch and some pudding with drinks. While eating we were blessed with a S.U Led group who performed some well known songs and gave us a relaxing and fun atmosphere, they performed Man on the Moon, Mad World & a few others, we then had a mad flash-mob dance organised by SUGAR, me and Humphrey  plus 20 others decided to get up and have a go. There was definitely MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR, of others and my own feet. We were just stomping on each others feet and doing self defense, dance moves. IT WAS BRILLIANT and all captured on many different camera`s which perfectly leads us, to the final Conference.

That was it for me nerves started to kick in. I walked into the last conference room filled with fear, as I was to stand up in front of this whole conference room, including cameras and Videos, with roughly 100 people in there and Promote and Represent UKRR. We were asked by the panel which included Steve Dixon from Changes UK, whom I had already met and interviewed on behalf of UKRR and Rich Maunders who is chair of the steering group for the fifth UK Recovery Walk in Birmingham this September..

So as the mic`s started roaming around the room we started to put our hands up 1 by 1. We heard from LUF, ADFAM, family of a S.U and many others. Then it was my turn I was standing up, great stuff I thought, WHY ME??? lol :) then the lady gave me the mike and I could feel every face in the room looking my way. I thought I was going to pass out, but I held it together and started to read out loud the piece I had prepared a few days before. When I had finished, the roar of the applause hit me and I felt so proud but a little wounded that I did not give enough. As soon I saw Nick he was there with the reassurance and the HUG that I so really needed. I felt so proud and now know that next time I WILL KILL IT GOOD & PROPER ;)

Humphrey sourced a few good interviews while there and I know Nick met a lot of old faces and also some new ones, including an interview with Neil Hunt and making links with people doing or interested in doing recovery radio projects in their areas.

All the services and their contact information, will be added to the sight soon.

I really enjoyed myself and had a great experience. I recommend attending these events to anyone who wishes to join in Recovery and making positive change.

Brilliant and we wish all the best to each and every single service, organisation charity and the rest and to service users everywhere especially, TAKE CARE and JOIN US SOON XXXXXXXXXXX

By Jaine Mason UKRR Rep & S.U Rep.