Recovery Month at ERA

Every year in September the Recovery Community in Scotland come together to reflect and celebrate that recovery is possible.  

As well as running our usual ERA (Edinbugrh Recovery Activities) groups and activities, we crank up our timetable with various other fun events for people to come together to try new experiences, meet new people in the community and most importantly, have a laugh! This year we’re going bowling, taking a trip to the zoo, heading to Samye Ling monastery, and hosting our legendary karaoke night. Our evening events always attract a great crowd of people in recovery and their friends and families as well as people who are currently in LEAP (Lothians and Edinburgh Abstinence Programme). It’s a safe space to bring children as well as meet friends and have fun with like-minded people and belt out your favourite tune. 

During recovery month we’ll also visit our pals The Sorted Project. We have a longstanding relationship with The Sorted Project, every month we take members of the recovery community on their barge for an afternoon sail. As well as drinking cups of tea, eating lunch together and taking in the beautiful scenery Grace, from The Sorted Project, offers reiki to those open to trying it.  

One of our most popular groups is the fishing group; it’s regularly oversubscribed with a large waiting list. During September we’ll take a group fishing, but we’ll also do a clean-up of the area around the loch. We’re very lucky to have access to such a beautiful and peaceful area that it’s the least we can do to give back.  

We will close the month by attending the national Recovery Walk which is hosted annually by the Scottish Recovery Consortium. This year a coachload of us will be heading to Greenock to take part in The Recovery Walk Procession through the city before heading to the Recovery Festival Village to hear speakers and live music to celebrate recovery in Scotland. 

At any event we organise, the hope is that we provide a safe space for people in recovery to have fun, connect with others and perhaps try something new (or something they haven’t done in a while). We’ve seen people form incredible friendships through attending our groups, and by simply giving people that space, they’ve created a wonderful recovery community for themselves and for us.  

Like we always say ERA is like the kitchen at a party; it’s where the best conversations are had, and connections are made! In September we celebrate and make it a month-long party. 

Find out more about Edinburgh Recovery Activities (ERA).

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