More than 2,000 recovery walkers are estimated to have taken Glasgow by storm on Saturday 19th September. Glasgow Recovery Walk Scotland 2015 has been declared ” thoroughly awesome” by the participants who started the day with a moving ceremony to honour those who died from addiction, and then went onto to publicly affirm their commitment to recovery from addiction with a two mile walk through the busy city centre.
This was the first year Highland Alcohol & Drugs Partnership & Apex Highland had taken part. Twenty-Five Apex service users & family members got up very early in order to celebrate and participate from the very start. With goody bags, bacon rolls, packed lunches, all generously donated by V8 Café, Body Shop, Morrisons, NHS Highland and Highland Alcohol & Drugs Partnership.
A peak experience moment for many of the walkers was passing through the iconic George Square to the sound of wave after wave of approving acknowledgement and applause from the participants in an independence event being held there. Many healing tears were shed in both the walk on the street and the rally on the square.
The walk was followed up by a recovery festival on the green which was addressed by Mr Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs. Mr Wheelhouse, spoke of his personal respect for people in recovery and what they have to offer the community. He also affirmed the Scottish Governments ongoing commitment to providing the best opportunities for treatment for addictions in Scotland.
Apex Highland rocked Glasgow and they applauded us!
We continued our celebrations on Sunday with the kind offer of lunch at Beechwood House, Crossreach’s Inverness Rehabilitation Unit which was delicious.
