Community Engagement

Creative Start Arts in Health CIC has been supporting Grimsby for over 8 years.

We want to attract passing trade to the service. We want to evidence to the community that recovery from addiction is possible and that in recovery great things can be achieved.

We also want people whose lives are affected by addiction, for example, friends and family, to know that our service can help them too.

Art created at the premises will be exhibited and available for purchase to all the community, giving them the option to invest in the 'Recovery Community'.

We create merchandise that appeals to local people and can be sold from the premises.

Often the media can create problems by portraying recovery in the wrong way in order to sensationalise the subject of Addiction. When presented in the wrong way it can be detrimental to an individual's recovery and/or wellbeing. We want to raise awareness but it is more important to protect those that may be vulnerable and their families.

We ask all our members to sign a disclaimer and implement a structured media and community engagement policy to protect people and to make sure that the 'Recovery Community' is portrayed clearly and accurately to the public.

Because of Addiction being so stigmatised there is a risk that the 'Recovery Community' could be seen by the wider community as an environment where there is active substance misuse. Again we will want to make it very clear from the start that it is a safe place for people that are abstinent and in recovery.

We have a zero-tolerance policy on alcohol & drugs. Having a team of experienced peer mentors we can measure an individuals' behaviour pattern when they are not abstinent.

We hold induction interviews which will be taken by 3 experienced recovery mentors all in long term abstinence.

We will explain to anyone intoxicated that it is an abstinence recovery environment and they will be signposted to the relevant services.

Anyone intoxicated to the point of disruption will be asked to leave.

We will create public art in the Grimsby area and in other locations in North East Lincolnshire, including Immingham. This will include work in Grimsby that promotes recovery, including mural painting, public art and exhibitions. Members of the public will have the opportunity to get involved through consultation and the painting process. We will involve and demonstrate the impact of the 'Recovery community' to local people by creating mural artworks, designed to encourage pride in the community and help regenerate our local area. These projects will also help reintegrate the 'Recovery Community' with the wider community.

We would identify those in recovery who have strong public engagement and customer service skills and offer them the opportunity to be the first point of contact to the public, within the premises. Those within the 'Recovery Community' will have the opportunity to discuss their art with the public, to trade with the public and to raise awareness by sharing their own stories. This will help change preconceptions in regards to recovery from addiction and help to tackle stigma. It will give those in recovery more confidence, better social skills and build their self-esteem and self-worth.

DONATIONS

We will make regular art donations to other worthy causes. Our primary area of focus will be supporting other peer led support groups. For example Bosom Buddies which is a Breast Cancer peer support group who we have previously donated artwork and merchandise to. It is our intention to not only promote recovery peer support but all forms of peer support within the community.

PUBLIC TALKS

We will organise public talks on behalf of the 'Recovery Community' that provide an insight into addiction and the recovery process. This will help raise awareness, tackle stigma and provide education into abstinence Recovery and also promote the 'Recovery Community'. Creative Start has already provided talks to students at The Grimsby Institute and we will be pro-active in identifying places to extend this, for example providing talks in schools to help educate young people on Addiction and recovery. We have also previously held talks at organisations such as The Rotary Club and the Lions which have resulted in donations to our cause.

PATRONS

We will aim to secure a patron, someone in the public eye that can champion our cause and help promote the 'Recovery Community' in Grimsby. We have approached Brian Cannon who was the designer responsible for the branding, artwork and album covers of bands such as Oasis and The Verve. Creative Start has previously received words of support and painted actors and comedians including Leigh Francis (Keith Lemon), Verne Troyer, Kevin Bishop, Peter Egan and Kevin Kennedy. We would prefer a patron who is recovery themselves and can commit some time to promoting the 'Recovery Community' and help create exposure.