Finding recovery with help from our prison services and residential rehab at The Bridges – Hull was one of the biggest steps forward he could have taken.
Darren grew up in a home filled with alcohol, drugs, and violence, and started drinking when he was young. He liked the feeling – it made him forget about everything happening at home.
When Darren was older, he struggled to find a job, so he turned to dealing drugs and petty crime to fund his addiction. Eventually, Darren ended up in prison where he became seriously ill owing to his drug use.
On one occasion, he had to be taken to hospital where his heart temporarily stopped beating. When he woke up, Darren realised things had to radically change.
Whilst in prison, Darren felt like no-one had ever really understood what he was going through until he went to see someone from The Forward Trust.
“They were so supportive and knew exactly the right things to say, which helped me to open up,” said Darren.
After his recovery began, staff at Forward approached Darren about becoming a peer mentor for others in similar situations, as he explains:
“I thought there was no way I would be able to pass the training, but I did. I even went on to win an award for Best Peer Supporter!
“I loved approaching people on the wing and offering them support and guidance. I felt privileged that they trusted and could open up to me.”
On release, Darren was sent to The Bridges - Hull, Forward’s residential rehabilitation service in the city centre of Hull to galvanise the recovery he’d already gained in prison. After completing the programme, Forward’s housing team found Darren somewhere to live near his mum who was in bad health. It was a life-changing event that meant Darren could be near her in her final days - and she could finally see her son in recovery.
The house supplied by Forward offered Darren a safe, physical space he needed to turn his life around.
“When I was in prison, I saw people come back soon after they left, after re-offending because they had nowhere to live and no programme like The Bridges – Hull to go to,” Darren shared.
“Having housing and residential support from Forward helped me stop this cycle and change my life."
