Spotlight
How a unique partnership between Turning Point and
Community Rail Cumbria is transforming the lives of service users
BACK ON TRACK
On a cold February day a few years ago, a
group of residents from Turning Point's
Stanfield House rehabilitation service were
painting an old and neglected fence at
Harrington railway station in West Cumbria.
A neighbour came out of her house with a
tray of tea and biscuits. She asked what the
group were up to and two of the residents
shared that they were undergoing rehab.
Painting a fence made them feel better – it
gave them a sense of achievement and was
their way of giving back. This was the
beginning of the Railway Journey to Recovery,
a partnership between Turning Point and
Community Rail Cumbria.
One part of the Railway Journey to
Recovery programme is the Green Road
project. Running since 2017, it involves
weekly visits to Green Road railway station
where residents tend to the hedgerows and
flowerbeds, feed the birds and maintain the
20 | drinkanddrugsnews | Rehab Guide 2019
‘My heart
belongs to
Stanfield
House. It
always will.
The journey
has
changed
my life.'
station buildings. Involvement in
the project has seen a profound
change in the confidence and
self-esteem of residents.
Alcohol and substance misuse
can so often lead to isolation. As
an addiction grows, people are
increasingly likely to develop a
lack of self-worth, retreat from
society and lose ties with
their families, their
friends and their
communities.
Turning
Point's detox
and rehab
services
recognise
that a major
part of
recovery is
breaking down
the stigma of
substance misuse and
helping people feel good about being in the
community again. Many have forged such a
connection with the local landscape and
community as part of their recovery that they
have relocated to Cumbria after completing
their treatment programme.
Weekly visits to Green Road were pivotal to
Harriet's recovery while at Stanfield House:
‘When I first entered rehab I was in a very dark
and isolated place. I was very scared, and I
really struggled. I was in a very controlling
relationship for ten years and through my
drug addiction I lost my home, I lost my job
and I lost the custody of my daughter. I'd given
up. I eventually asked for help through Turning
Point and I'm so grateful. The actual journey to
Green Road gives you time to reflect on how
TURNING POINT provides
residential rehab for men
and women aged 18-65 who
are based anywhere in the
country. Stanfield House is a
12-bed rehab recovery house
based in the heart of the
Lake District, and Leigh Bank
is a 16-bed rehab recovery
far you've come. And arriving at Green Road
and seeing the work that's put in and the
dedication from everyone else is amazing. My
heart belongs to Stanfield House. It always
will. The journey has changed my life.'
As much as the railway connects people to
the landscapes, the views, and nature, it also
connects them to the community and each
other. Buying a ticket, learning to understand
a rail timetable, a chat with the guard or a
wave from the driver, walks from one station
to the next,
appreciating the environment and local
wildlife, alleviating anxiety in crowded places,
learning new skills and reviving old ones –
these all play a fundamental role in the
rehabilitation process at Stanfield House.
Residents past and present have used the
train window not simply to view the passing
landscapes but also as a metaphor – to frame
the problems of the past, put into perspective
the challenges and reality of the present, or to
visualise and make real their hopes for a
future free from alcohol or drugs.
At 52, Margaret entered rehab following a
long history of severe domestic violence. At
Stanfield House, she discovered new skills and
developed a deep love of gardening,
transforming an unkempt area in the gardens
into a productive flower and vegetable patch,
and introducing her home grown produce
into weekly picnics at Green Road. Margaret is
now back in her home town, alcohol free and
thriving in recovery.
We welcome referrals from community
drug and alcohol services and private
referrals: www.turning-
point.co.uk/services/drug-and-alcohol-
support/rehabilitation.html
email: ResidentialDetox&Rehab@turning-
point.co.uk
house based in Oldham.
Stanfield House also has
safe and secure on-site dog
kennels to allow service
users’ pets to stay with their
owners. Both houses base
treatment on a Therapeutic
Community approach and
offer a safe environment
where individuals can
embrace support and
challenge from fellow
residents, participate in
structured daily activities,
become independent, and
engage with the community
around them, free of
substances.
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