The Serenity Cafe and resilience

A secure base
Peer support between people with shared experience of recovery from addiction, and a sense of belonging to a community of people in recovery
Learning
A focal point for learning and personal development through volunteering and recovery community activism
Friendships
Activities which welcome people regardless of their approach to recovery, treating them with respect and understanding; celebrating their achievements
Talents and interests
Volunteers have developed a range of groups to share their talents and interests: drama, choir, guitar, fishing.... the range increases as the community grows
Positive values
Serious about inclusion, actively tackling the stigma of addiction, and providing a community in which physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing is expressed.
Social competence
A space where people can be themselves as people in recovery, whilst exploring and learning to understand the sense of ‘otherness’ that underpinned substance misuse for many people. An environment where people are always learning from others how to negotiate life as a recovering addict.

Steven's story

Stevie spent several years in prison due to his addiction, and to while away the time he started to build models out of matschsticks.  Outside of prison, Stevie resorted to his substance use to help him cope with life, until he entered a treatment centre for his addiction. He realised that life in recovery could be challenging and used his love of model-making to "keep his head and his hands busy".  When he walked into Comas' office carrying a 3ft section of his model of the Forth Road Bridge we knew Stevie was a man with 'talents and interests'. We are now helping Stevie to share this with others in the recovery community - we provided space, equipment and materials, Stevie provides the enthusiasm, and in the process is contribution to learning, friendships and social competence for himself and others in the recovery community.