How Essex Recovery Foundation Is Challenging Addiction Stigma Every Day

Stigma remains one of the biggest barriers facing people affected by drug and alcohol addiction. It silences voices, fuels shame and prevents people from seeking help or feeling accepted. At Essex Recovery Foundation, we believe recovery is not something to hide… it is something to be heard, understood and celebrated.

Every day, we work to challenge misconceptions about addiction and recovery by creating spaces where lived experience is valued and conversations are honest and stigma-free. From public speaking workshops to community festivals and new creative platforms, our mission is simple: to change how addiction and recovery are talked about in Essex and beyond.

Empowering Voices Through Our Public Speaking Workshop

One of the most powerful ways to challenge stigma is through storytelling and Essex Recovery Foundation are passionate about giving people in recovery the confidence and tools to share their experiences safely and meaningfully.

Our Voices of Recovery public speaking workshop is designed to do exactly that. The course supports people with lived experience of addiction and recovery to explore their story, understand its impact and learn how to share it in a way that feels empowering rather than exposing.

Participants develop skills in communication, boundaries and self-care, while also exploring the purpose behind sharing their story. Whether speaking at events, within professional settings or simply finding their voice for the first time, the workshop helps people reclaim their narrative and challenge harmful stereotypes about addiction.

We have two upcoming Voices of Recovery workshops starting on Wednesday 6th May and Wednesday 28th October.

Find out more

Celebrating Recovery at the Essex Recovery Festival

The Essex Recovery Festival is a vibrant and inclusive celebration of recovery in all its forms. It brings together individuals, families, professionals and organisations to recognise recovery as something visible, valid and worthy of pride.

Through music, talks, creative expression, wellbeing practices and honest connection, the festival challenges outdated ideas about addiction and replaces them with compassion, hope, and understanding. It sends a powerful message: recovery exists and it deserves to be celebrated openly.

For many attendees, the festival is the first time they feel part of something bigger: a community that sees recovery not as a secret, but as a strength.

We’re so pleased that the Essex Recovery Festival will be returning to Lambourne End Centre from Friday 24th July to Sunday 26th July 2026. It promises to be even bigger and better than last year - and it’s a weekend to remember!

Explore the festival

Creating Space for Honest Conversations: The Healing Voices Podcast

Launching in February 2026, our upcoming Healing Voices podcast will continue this work by creating a platform dedicated to open, stigma-free conversations about recovery, identity and lived experience.

With fortnightly episodes, the podcast will feature people from Essex’s recovery community, alongside experts in addiction, mental health and other related fields. Together, they will explore the realities of recovery: the challenges, the triumphs, and everything in between.

Join our mailing list to be the first to hear about new episodes!