Me, Myself... Us – THE DDN CONFERENCE 2026
NEW BEGINNINGS
The day’ s second session heard three different perspectives on the genuinely transformational power of peer action
‘ W
e help people make positive changes, overcome barriers and build healthier futures,’ said Lea Culshaw, West Midlands dependency and recovery partnerships manager at Change Grow Live.
He was describing a specialist project commissioned by the Ministry of Justice which formed part of community rehabilitation services across West Midlands probation – providing psychosocial interventions, motivational interviewing and recovery-focused support for young men aged 18 and above with substance and offending behaviour issues.
In your corner was Change Grow Live’ s hypermasculinity project, and aimed to redefine how young men engaged with support.‘ It’ s designed to start meaningful conversations around masculinity, challenge unhelpful stereotypes and encourage young men to seek support, connect with others, and thrive,’ he said.
‘ We were looking at why 18-30-year-olds weren’ t accessing services,’ said Chai Burrell, coordinator for In your corner.‘ What you hear all the time is they’ re young, they’ re full of ego, it’ s not for them – why are they going to come to a service that’ s not built for them? We had a look at that and thought,“ what can we do to make a difference?”’
ON THE SAME PAGE What became clear was that the young people needed someone they could relate to and who understood what they were going through, he said.‘ Everybody in here knows that as good as some services are, there’ s a lot that’ s lacking.’ In your corner had a team of lived experience people – some drugs and alcohol, some prison, some trauma and abuse – who could meet the young people where they were at, he said.‘ When we listen to them we’ re on the same page. We understand it from a point of having lived it.’ He had one young person telling him,‘ Chai, I’ m fucked. I’ ve got nothing, nobody. If I don’ t sell drugs there’ s nothing for me, nobody to turn to.’‘ What do I tell this young man?“ Go to the Jobcentre, they’ ll help you find a job and it’ s all going to be alright?” He’ s never had anybody talk to him about the trauma he’ s been through.’
The project worked hard to try to change young people’ s perspectives, he said.‘ Where he’ s from in Birmingham is his little ghetto – he doesn’ t come out of there, he hasn’ t been exposed to much else. So I’ ve taken him in my car to Malvern Hills, and said,“ See that tiny bit there? That’ s your bit. Look at this whole beautiful place up here.” Slowly the seeds are being planted, and it’ s making an impact.’
The same young man had completely ignored him when they first met, he said.‘ Over time, when he found out we don’ t have to sit in this horrible little
14 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • SEPTEMBER 2026 WWW. DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS. COM