an orange triangle in the top left corner, a pink triangle in the bottom left corner, a woman smiling at the camera in the middle with pink and purple hair, a pink triangle in the top right corner and a dark blue triangle in the bottom right corner

Believe in people stories

People are at the heart of everything we do.

#BelieveInPeople celebrates the amazing people that make our organisation: our staff, volunteers and the people using our services. Read their inspiring stories below.

We want to challenge stigma about substance misuse, spark meaningful conversations, and raise awareness.

An image of Debbie

“My confidence is growing, and I am starting to have more faith in myself and be who I want to be.”

We hear from Debbie, who was inspired by one of her peers to join Change Grow Live as a volunteer. 

Read Debbie's #BelieveinPeople story
Image of Catherine Muyeba

"I had given up on the dream of practicing medicine, but she instilled the confidence in me."

We hear from Dr. Catherine Muyeba who tells us about the doctor who inspired her own career.

Read Catherine's #BelieveInPeople story
Image of John W

“My volunteer training ignited a passion in me that I had not felt before.”

We hear from John W, who joined Change Grow Live as a volunteer and now supports people as a Recovery Coordinator. He explains how his volunteer training and new opportunities for learning helped him with his own recovery. 

Read John W's #BelieveInPeople story
Prison gave me the chance to look at my life and the things that had happened.

“My hopes for the future are to make life better for people in prison.”

We spoke to John*, who started taking drugs at 12 and went to prison at 35. He explains how believing in himself helped him to change his life, and how his experiences have inspired him to help others.  

Read John's* #BelieveInPeople story
A photo of Loren, she has red hair and glasses. The photo sits on a background of pink and blue, split diagonally.

“I feel that we all have it within ourselves to change another person’s life.”

We spoke to Loren, who volunteers at our service in Brighton. She explains how her recovery from illness inspired her to change her direction.

Read Loren's #BelieveInPeople story
"My son has told all of his friends I'm in recovery. And he said it's "because I'm proud of you mum"

“My son has told all of his friends I'm in recovery. And he said it's because ‘I'm proud of you mum’.”

We spoke to Shauna, a Substance Misuse Nurse for Change Grow Live, about overcoming addiction and how important it is to believe in yourself and others. 

Read Shauna's #BelieveInPeople story
Helen is smiling at the camera while sat in her garden

“I am grateful for life, where before I didn’t care.”

We spoke to Helen, who accessed our services for help with alcohol. She explains how she overcame her reluctance to change with the support of the people around her.

Read Helen's #BelieveInPeople story
Elly has bright orange hair and is smiling at the camera

“I guarantee every family in the country will know someone struggling with an addiction.”

We spoke to Elly, a Harm Reduction Recovery Coordinator at Change Grow Live, about how she has been believing in people for nearly 30 years. 

Read Elly's #BelieveInPeople story
A bald man smiling at the camera. the image sits on a background of dark blue and lilac

“I don't even consider myself to be in recovery anymore. I’m just living life.”

In today’s #BelieveInPeople story, we spoke to Simon, a Recovery Worker at Change Grow Live, who shared how he is now in his dream job.

Read Simon's #BelieveInPeople story
A selfie of a man against a white background. He has a dark turtleneck on and short brown hair. The background of the image is a diagonal split with orange on the top and purple on the bottom

“I’m not sure people realise how much it means to me – I haven’t quite figured it out myself yet.”

We spoke to James, who told us how he became a peer mentor to encourage and inspire other young people.

Read James's #BelieveInPeople story
Gemma's photo sits in the centre. She has dark hair and is wearing dark clothes smiling at the camera and stood in front of a brick wall. There is a border around the photo, half orange and half pink.

“I believe no one is too broken– they just need to be believed in.”

We spoke to Gemma, who told us how the belief of a recovery worker changed her life, and how it led to her role supporting sex workers in her area.

Gemma's #BelieveInPeople story

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