For the latest LEAG updates, scroll down…

Quarterly Meeting

People struggling with addiction, mental health, safe housing, and poverty, have often been excluded from having their say in how healthcare, drug and alcohol treatment, safety, and risk are supported through services and organisations.

Our community may not feel comfortable in voicing their opinions, as maybe they haven't been listened to, or acted upon in the past.

LEAG want to hear from our lived and living experience community, who have used drug & alcohol support services currently, historically, and for any amount of time.

We are committed at SUIT, and with the support of Recovery Near You & Wolverhampton Council’s Public Health Drug and Alcohol Commissioner towards shaping services from the expert experiences of the people using drug & alcohol support.

The quarterly LEAG meeting is for clients and volunteers who shape our important work in supporting recovery.

This is a face-to-face meeting, supported by a lived-experience member of the SUIT team.

All opinions and comments will be valued and listened to.

If you would like to form part of SUIT’s Lived Experience Advisory Group committee, please email christiane.jenkins@wvca.org.uk or jason.spreckley@wvca.org.uk.

SUIT are a lived-experience recovery organisation working alongside the treatment provider Recovery Near You, to ensure service user voice plays an equal part in how services are managed.

If you have feedback, suggestions, questions, or concerns, please fill out the attached form & submit.

Photo by Steph Teague

Spring LEAG

A huge thank you to everyone that attended the spring Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG) on Thursday 5th March, and enormous thanks to the Good Shepherd for their hospitality and involvement in the meeting.

A special big thanks to Angie & Karl from Recovery Near You, and Stuart from One Wolverhampton NHS ICB, for answering questions, offering advice and support, and strengthening our partnerships further. Their inclusion in the room was invaluable.

We also celebrated SUIT’s incredible volunteers moving through our Recovery Ambassador programme. Without you, our essential and life changing work isn’t possible.

Congratulations to:

Richard Felton, awarded Senior Recovery Champion

Sarah Millington, awarded Recovery Ambassador

Jaspaul Sallon Singh, awarded Recovery Ambassador & Senior Recovery Champion

Lynette John, awarded Peer Mentor

Ingrid Forman, awarded Peer Mentor

Howie Atkin, awarded Peer Mentor

You are all role models and show recovery is possible and worth it!

LEAG December

at 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".