Mental Health Peer Support Drop-Ins
NEXT DATE
Friday 6th February 2026
A safe space open to all who may need support, advice, and community links to services including health & wellbeing, advocacy, housing, welfare, education & training, employment, activities & groups, addiction & recovery, mental health, and delivering peer-led initiatives within the Wolverhampton community.
Workshops are often themed with activities, and delivered by staff and volunteers working with SUIT, the Good Shepherd, One Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton City Council’s Department of Public Health, Rethink and the NHS
Date: First Friday of every month
(6th February, 6th March, 10th April, 1st May).
Time: 10am until 12pm
Location: Train Station Hub WV1 1LE
(next door to Costa Coffee)
First Residency of [P R O] F I L E at Wolverhampton Art Gallery goes live on Saturday 24th January!
About [ P R O ] F I L E (May 2025 - May 2026)
The project, delivered by Asylum Artist Quarter, and funded by Arts Council England, gives SUIT clients an incredible experience, undertaking a programme where they can access artist studios, skills workshops and develop their artistic practise within a program of activity co-designed with the cohort.
Through multiple showcasing opportunities the focus is to raise the profile and experience of the individuals to enter the professional sector and include their lived experience in the cultural ecology of the city.
Visit Wolverhampton Art Gallery from Saturday 24th January, 2026, to view SUIT/Recovery Near You client David’s animation work titled
“Joey the Fish”.
The installation is a deep dive into David’s lived experience of struggles with alcohol and its consequences, and how he swam to the top again. We are so proud of David, and cannot wait to see his exhibition!
“Joey inhabits an ocean disrupted by urbanisation and human neglect. Floating or resting on the seabed, a discarded beer can frequently appear — a small, ordinary object that carries disproportionate weight. It signals addiction, harm, and the quiet normalisation of behaviour that can have serious personal and environmental consequences.
In Johnson’s analogue animations, Joey drinks and drives, is caught, taken to the police station, banned, and forced to adapt to a slower way of moving through the world — catching the bus for three years. Told with restraint and subtle humour, the narrative reflects lived experience: moments of poor judgement, accountability, and the long, often unglamorous work of change.”
SUIT will be attending the British Library in London to help launch a ground breaking new book on addiction and recovery!
On Tuesday 20th January, staff from SUIT will be attending the British Library in London to help launch a ground breaking new book on addiction and recovery. The book, “Lived Experience Recovery Organisations” was co-authored by internationally renowned experts in the field of recovery, Dame Carol Black and Dr Ed Day.
The book, part of a series, has been created by Dr David Patton and Dot Smith of Recovery Connections, who launched New Central Media publishing together. David Patton describes the book as helping to “transform the addiction recovery landscape.”
“Since first meeting David Patton at various events, he has championed SUIT and LEROs nationally,” comments Christiane Jenkins, SUIT’s Creative Arts and Research Lead. “We were humbled to be asked to contribute to the important volume, and see our work published alongside such other innovative and inspirational lived experience testimonies.”
The book launch event marks a significant moment in the lived experience movement as the book will be deposited in the British Library, ensuring that the work it contains from contributors including SUIT, becomes part of the national archive and is recognised as a meaningful contribution to the knowledge of lived experience.
“This is a significant milestone in the journey of lived experience models of support with regard to recovery from addiction,” comments Marcus Johnson, SUIT Project Manager. “As part of WVCA, SUIT has been supporting those in recovery for 20 years. To have our work recognised in such a prestigious publication really does validate, not only what we do here in Wolverhampton, but what the LERO movement is achieving nationally.”
The book launch for Lived Experience Recovery Organisations: Peer Generated Epicentres of Personal Change and Collective Transformation will take place at the British Library, NW1, at 14:00hrs.
Dr David Patton is Associate Professor in Criminology, University of Derby and owner of New Central Media publishing. He describes the book as follows:
“a ground breaking collection… powerful, first-person accounts from leaders of Lived Experience Recovery Organisations (LEROs)…These grassroots, peer-led initiatives are transforming the addiction recovery landscape. Born out of personal journeys through addiction, incarceration, and marginalisation, these organisations are reshaping how recovery is understood and delivered. This book is both a celebration of recovery communities and a manifesto for embedding lived experience into the heart of national systems.”
Dame Carol Black is medical advisor to the government, Chair of the British Library, former Principal of Newham College, Cambridge, a physician and academic.
LEAG (LIVED EXPERIENCE ADVISORY GROUP)
December Meeting at the Molineux Stadium
December’s LEAG meeting was one of celebration, and fantastic new ideas!
Thank you to Michelle-Marie Smith & Ellina Bawa from Wolverhampton City Council’s Department of Public Health for generously supporting the event, held at Molineux Stadium’s Media Suite. The forum discussed new models of service design, with an incredible and insightful presentation from SUIT volunteer, Howie, who gave the room some fresh ideas surrounding his experiences of leaving residential rehab and the struggles he had towards adjusting. His insights, and the LEAG’s feedback are currently being looked at to structure a new Aftercare service. We enjoyed a delicious lunch, and also celebrated our brilliant SUIT volunteers who have passed and are moving on to the next level in their Recovery Ambassador programme for peer-led volunteering!
Congratulations to:
Richard Felton, awarded Recovery Ambassador
Amy Felton, awarded Peer Mentor
Sarah Millington, awarded Peer Mentor
Leanne Jasmine, awarded Peer Mentor
Mark Harris, awarded Peer Mentor
Jaspaul Sallon Singh, awarded Peer Mentor
“You said, we did”
Buddy Support
Men’s Group has responded to needs; activities including gym & sports, health & wellbeing.
SUIT visible through Relapse Prevention Group, BEI, Pre Hab Group.
Website as a core information base.
New leaflets, brochures, and booklets in progress.
New, structured volunteer programme.
Dual Diagnosis Enhanced Model.
Aftercare; new vision and model planned…
Aftercare: Presentation from Howie
“After completing residential rehabilitation, I faced a harsh reality: the structured support that helped me recover simply vanished. I was thrust back into the same environment that had contributed to my addiction, with no clear path forward and no coordinated help. This personal experience revealed a critical gap in our system—a gap that's costing lives and perpetuating cycles of relapse across our communities".
Howie explained the ideal: 5 phases towards a new vision of Aftercare
Phase 1: Planning (4 weeks)
Assessment, needs identification, relapse prevention planning, building comfort and knowledge
Phase 2: Building a Toolkit (4-16 weeks)
CBT/DBT with buddy support, coping skills, urge surfing, mindfulness, Wise Mind development
Phase 3: Engagement & Tracking (8-52 weeks)
Personal development tracking, meeting attendance, external agency coordination, medication compliance
Phase 4: Resilience Building (16 -52 weeks)
Deep personal growth work, advanced CBT/DBT techniques, self-esteem cultivation, confidence building
Phase 5: Self-Actualisation (42-104 weeks)
Values clarification, purpose discovery, career development, volunteering, full reintegration into society
Cultural Engagement Team Announcements
Check this page for the latest events, locations, and media appearances from the SUIT Cultural Engagement Team!
Health, Wellbeing, & Liver Scans with Recovery Near You
Community Outreach Events with the Cultural Engagement Team
“Over 1,200 liver scans have now been completed at a pioneering series of pop up clinics across Wolverhampton designed to bring non invasive health screening directly into the community”
Councillor Obaida Ahmed, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Community, said: "These community Fibro-scan clinics are a fantastic example of how we are working with partners to bring healthcare into familiar, welcoming spaces.
"By teaming up with Recovery Near You and the Service User Involvement Team, and working alongside faith leaders, lived experience volunteers, businesses and community organisations, we’ve demonstrated the value of culturally sensitive, accessible, and health focused interventions in breaking down stigma and helping residents to take proactive steps towards better liver health.”
(City Of Wolverhampton Council, 04/12/25)
Women's Peer Support Group
Our fabulous Women's Peer Support Group has moved. It will now be every Monday at the Recovery Hub on Connaught Road. 12:30pm -2:30pm
Come along and meet like-minded people while enjoying fun crafts and activities.
The group is available to client's who are registered with Recovery Near You or SUIT. No referral necessary.
For more information about this or any of our other groups, call us at SUIT on 01902 328983
Men’s Peer Support Group
Our men's group ‘WV Men Matter’ runs every Friday from The Recovery Hub, 1 Connaught Road and is open to anyone registered with SUIT or Recovery Near You (No referral necessary).
Group connection is an essential part of SUIT’s work, and our lived experience team are dedicated to building strength, resilience, & trust for people struggling.
Our facilitators Warren, Matt, Mark, & Jas have all experienced addiction and its complexities, and have bravely learnt to turn those difficulties into knowledge, to help others.
Our SUIT men are role models, with no judgment, who start the right conversations.
Badminton
Table Tennis
Padded Tennis
Dominoes
Gym
Recovery Support
Wellbeing
Halloween Tattoo Bash 2025
We had an incredible time at the Halloween Tattoo Bash on Sunday 02/11/2025 at Wolverhampton Racecourse.
It was an incredible event to be part of and so creatively inspiring. There were vibrant and engaging stalls, wonderful conversations and connections, and the art & tattoos were exceptional.
Thank you to everyone who came to see us and dropped some art & stickers on our plastic body parts!
An enormous thank you to Mac McCarthy and everyone involved in the weekend. This year’s Halloween Tattoo Bash have kindly picked SUIT as their donation organisation this year and we are humbled by the sincere and genuine support for our lived experience service.
#SUITvoicesofrecovery
*All donations go through WVCA Wolverhampton Voluntary & Community Action (our host charity) and are ring-fenced for SUIT's work as a #LERO in Wolverhampton's recovery community.
ANNOUNCEMENT!
YOGA WITH CATE in WOLVERHAMPTON
Yoga has been part of my life since my twenties — sometimes front and centre, sometimes in the background — but always there when I’ve needed it. It’s helped me through tough emotional times, supported physical recovery when physio felt like a chore, and continues to guide me toward the kind of life I actually want: grounded, calm, and real. It helps me keep choosing what truly supports me, rather than slipping back into old patterns or chasing fleeting highs.
Cate is a beautiful human and we want to say thank you for her continued support and patronage towards SUIT.
The National Recovery Walk was an exceptional celebration of our recovery community in Wolverhampton! The Favor UK event, held on September 13th in Wolverhampton’s beautiful West Park, was a true reflection of the unity, diversity, creativity, and strength here in our city, and the partnership between SUIT, Recovery Near You, the Good Shepherd, and Wolverhampton Today Public Health have put our city at the forefront of addiction support in the UK.
SUIT want to thank everyone involved for their outstanding dedication
