My Hero

Carol used to run a drop in centre for single homeless people, but left a few years ago to set up her own Social Enterprise, Transforming Choice, with an ex- colleague of mine. It provides a 2 week residential detox programme followed by a 12 weeks residential rehab programme for people with an alcohol addiction.

Today was "graduation day" for the 4 th. cohort to have successfully completed the programme. Roger Phillips, a well known radio presenter, gave out certificates and each recipient said a few words to the audience. Once again, it was a very moving and emotional experience. For example, one woman referred to the fact that her 9 year old grand-daughter had insisted that she thank everybody for giving her back her Nan, and another spoke of the fact that she had been on several programmes in the past, but what made this one different was the love, care and respect with which everyone was treated.

Setting this programme up has been an extremely hard struggle, and it is a struggle that continues. It relies on a "non-medical model" which makes it hard to attract funding from medical agencies. Carol and others have put hours, no years of their lives into getting it off the ground against all sorts of odds, including a group of "neighbours" who tried to kill the project off by raising objections at planning committee. But Carol has determination, guts and above all a belief. A belief that what she is offering is a good programme that is desperately needed, but more especially a belief in the people who come on her programme.