Who are we?

Together we considered the current UK landscape for people with addictions and reflected on what we were seeing and hearing over the last few years:

• Increasing numbers of people were still dying from preventable overdoses.
• Individuals and family members were reporting inequitable opportunities accessing residential treatment. There appeared to be a post-code lottery with some local authorities investing more than others.
• People were unaware of their rights to publicly funded drug and alcohol treatment, and had no independent advocacy when they needed it.
• There wasn’t enough investment in the treatment for trauma – often one of the underlying reasons for problematic substance use.
• We saw an unacceptable level of stigma around people with living and lived experiences in workplaces and in the mainstream media. Unhelpful and discriminatory language and labels were still being used with impunity.
• We heard that the voices of living and lived experiences were sometimes cherry-picked, and that not everyone was invited to the table.

In April 2021, led by our energetic CEO Annemarie Ward, we re-visited our aims, and made the decision to re-focus our energies on our campaigning and advocacy activities, whilst still retaining some of our core activities like our National Recovery Walk.

We are going to be brave and outspoken – calling out social injustice and encouraging our communities to speak out for themselves. We will become a vehicle for the voice of conscience, holding people to account for what we believe is right. We will continue to develop campaigns such as #Youkeeptalkingwekeepdying – reminding society that deaths from overdose are preventable and leave behind decimated families and communities.

We are excited to reveal our revised purpose and set of aims that will give our charity the foundation from which to develop our activities in 2021 and beyond.

Our team

Annemarie Ward was elected in a unanimous vote taken by the trustees on December 5th 2013 to become the Charity Chief Executive Officer. 

Annemarie Ward is the founder of the UK Recovery Walk Charity – now known as Faces & Voices of Recovery UK (May 2015). The aim of the charity is to be a policy advocacy movement that is taking on issues of discrimination, social justice and service access. 

We are also a public and professional education movement, intent on challenging stigma. We do this by delivering messages of hope to the cultures of addiction within our systems and treatment.

The Walks are an opportunity for us to announce our presence and, in time, mobilise and organise our community.

In the past Annemarie’s work included being a founding director of the UK Recovery Federation, The alcohol and drug partnership co-ordinater for Ayrshire and the head of research & development for a small charity . Her work has also included the development, implementation, monitoring and review of local research & development schemes in health-related services. She has also conducted a variety of small research projects, managed self harm and addiction projects, regularly written funding bids and organised workshops, seminars, conferences and training courses on a variety of alcohol and other drug issues.

In that previous life Annemarie had addictions to various substances, (not a drug of choice kind of gal, she liked them all till they stopped working). In fact, she says the only substances she hasn’t tried are ‘alcopops’, & legal highs- she got into ‘recovery’ before their introduction – and glue, as where she grew up, glue was for boys and gas was for girls.

In August 2022 Annemarie celebrated 25 years of complete abstinence from all mind and mood altering substances.

Annemarie has a Masters degree (2005) and successfully completed a PG cert in Competence in Managing Drug and Alcohol services (2008) both from the University of Glasgow.

You can connect personally with Annemarie below.

http://www.facebook.com/tim1leg

Add her on twitter https://twitter.com/Annemarieward

or email her at annemarie@facesandvoicesofrecoveryuk.org

As a seasoned addiction recovery specialist and harm reduction practitioner, David Bouse is committed to improving the lives of individuals facing substance misuse challenges. With a rich academic background, including a BA in Social Sciences from Glasgow Caledonian University and an MSc in Risk Management, David combines rigorous study with deep personal experience to advocate for effective recovery interventions.

David’s professional journey has been characterised by significant roles in organisations such as Turning Point Scotland and The Mungo Foundation, where he has implemented impactful outreach programs and supported individuals at critical moments in their recovery process. His approach is deeply influenced by his own experiences with addiction, driving his dedication to fostering environments that facilitate meaningful recovery.

David’s work extends beyond individual case management to systemic advocacy, seeking to address the broader social issues contributing to addiction. His expertise is also recognised academically through his contributions to risk management research and presentations at conferences focused on social crises.

Committed to continual professional development, David is an active member of key organisations within the addiction recovery and social work fields. His goal remains clear: to enhance the availability and quality of support for those embarking on the path to recovery, ensuring that they receive the compassionate and competent care they deserve. 

Our trustees

I am one of many Faces and Voices of Recovery who do not see young, smart, people with a passion to promote recovery having a seat at a table where we can be heard and influence or impact recovery, when we have credible lived experience. I am a woman in Recovery and part of a family in recovery. 

I am one of the founders of Recovery Coach Community CIC, and a lead trainer for Recovery Coach Academy, as one of the first two CCAR Authorised facilitators and Recovery Coach Professional Designates in the UK. We help Individuals, groups and organizations learn, train and utilize recovery coaching by educating, collaborating & supporting people to feel empowered themselves as well as empower others. 

We do this by supporting organizations to build their Recovery Communities, as well as Supporting Individuals to implement Recovery Coaching. 

I am very fortunate to have experienced recovery communities in the USA, and now have the opportunity to bring this to the UK; by combining my personal and professional experiences together to make a positive impact on Recovery. 

After moving to England from Texas in June 2018, I engaged in recovery communities & services to enhance my knowledge around the culture of recovery in the UK. Prior to the start of Recovery Coach Communities CIC, I was employed at Turning Point where within a year and a half I moved from volunteer, to employee as manager of the Recovery cafe; then went on to be promoted to a Recovery worker. I received an award at the Houses of Parliament due to my successes within Turning Point. 

You can find out more about Certified  Recovery Coaching in the UK here

Justine MacArthur has cultivated a rich career in human resources within the pharmacotherapy sector, primarily focusing on medicated assisted treatments (MAT) for Substance Use Disorders (SUD) and serious mental health conditions. With over nine years of experience, she has provided HR support to global teams at Indivior, engaging in a broad spectrum of HR functions such as recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and handling complex employee relations cases.

Her personal journey, marked by the loss of family and friends to overdose and witnessing the recovery of others, has instilled a deep commitment to supporting individuals affected by SUD. This personal connection, coupled with her professional background, fuels her advocacy for evidence-based treatment approaches and policy reform to improve access to addiction services.

Justine’s involvement with FAVOR UK began after being inspired by Annmarie Ward in 2018, leading to regular donations, participation in Recovery Walks, and active promotion of recovery initiatives within her network. Her efforts extend beyond her professional sphere, as she also contributes to community support initiatives and environmental causes, reflecting her holistic approach to societal well-being.

Joining the trustee board of FAVOR UK, Justine is eager to leverage her HR expertise, lived experience, and advocacy passion to further the organization’s mission of enhancing support, reducing stigma, and influencing policy for individuals with SUD in the UK. Her multifaceted experience positions her as a valuable asset to FAVOR UK, where she aims to contribute to the ongoing development and expansion of its advocacy and support services.

John is now the proud owner of Somerton Lodge, an alcohol free hotel on the Isle of Wight, a safe destination for anyone want a sober holiday. With multiple years in recovery John has been developing work around 12 Step recovery and CBT. He is the author of a few successful books and has designed rehab programmes that are used by various services including Recovery Connections and We Are With You. Continually training and learning about the different aspects and approaches to recovery John has just become a member of the International Association of Recovery Coach Professionals and has earned the RCP designation.

Jon is a highly respected member of the UK recovery community. His wealth of experience will benefit greatly our efforts to support the recovery community and recovery advocacy here in the UK. Here is what he wrote when we asked him to write a short bio.

“I am married to Nadia, a dad to three children and have been in abstinent recovery from addiction to drugs and drink since 1990.

I started work as a trainee counsellor in a 12 step residential treatment centre in 1991 and this was the first step in a career that has been a privilege, joy and adventure these last 22 years helping others to achieve recovery. I have a Diploma in Counselling, an MBA and am a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. After various posts as a practitioner, manager and senior manager in the voluntary and private sector I joined my current employer the Bridge Project as its Chief Executive Officer in 2007. Today Bridge employs over 60 staff and provides treatment and recovery services to over 2,000 people per year.

In addition to my day job, I actively promote recovery initiatives as a founder member of the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Recovery Consortium and have helped organise Recoverfest, the Region’s main recovery event these past two years. I was a member of the Department of Health Expert Group on Addiction to Medicines reporting to the Public Health Minister and I am a member of the Drugscope Chief Executive’s Forum. A special area of interest for me is developing stronger links between treatment and mutual aid. Currently I am a member of the Public Health England National Mutual Aid Reference Group, which is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the national strategic action plan and developing a series of products to facilitate better pathways from treatment into mutual aid.

After working for so many years in the treatment sector, I am inspired by the fantastic work that is being taken forward by Faces and Voices of Recovery Charity and believe that by becoming a Trustee it will enable me to take a more active personal role in service and gratitude for my own gift of recovery.

I am honoured to become a Trustee of the FAVOR UK and offer my business skills, passion and knowledge of addictions recovery to support the Chief Executive, fellow Board Members and the aims of the charity.”

I was appointed Managing Director of the Abbeycare Group in November 2015 having previously been the Director of a specialist care company providing residential accommodation and 24-hour support for people with complex mental health needs. During my time at Abbeycare we have seen the organisation flourish and we now employ almost 100 staff across the group and provide various support and treatment to around 750 people across the country every year. The aim of the company is to continue to grow and to make high quality treatment more widely accessible, from both a geographic and a financial perspective.

I initially heard about the FAVOR UK and the UK Recovery Walk in late 2016 when I discovered that the 2017 walk would be held in Blackpool which is also the location of Abbeycare’s head office. I immediately offered the support of both myself the Company and that support has continued to this day.

I divide my time equally between our flagship Gloucester service and our long established Scotland service and while I am in Scotland I am also able to spend time with my partner, Dean, who lives in Edinburgh.

I am delighted to be a trustee of FAVOR UK and look forward to bringing fresh ideas, enthusiasm and continuous support to the Chief Executive and fellow trustees as we promote and advocate the important work the charity does.