Thousands of people from around the UK will gather on Hove seafront this Saturday (29 September) before walking through the city in a public celebration of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

The 4th UK Recovery Walk Brighton & Hove 2012 is organised by a group of people whose own lives are, through various routes, being turned around from the despair and chaos of addiction and towards positive engagement with life and personal achievement.

The event in Brighton and Hove is a chance for people who have sought and gained recovery to come together with family and friends to challenge the stigma around addiction, improve understanding – and bring hope to those still struggling with substance misuse.

Following the walk, there will be a festival in Preston Park to showcase the talents and achievements of people who have reclaimed their lives through creative endeavours like music, performance, dance, poetry and art.

Brian Morgan, chair of the 4th UK Recovery Walk Brighton and Hove organising committee, said:

"This is an opportunity to celebrate lives turned around and positively transformed.

"We aim to bring hope to those who are struggling with life issues like substance misuse and to make asking for help acceptable and a sign of strength for individuals, families and communities.

“The people who have made the Recovery Walk possible are, or were, all in early recovery themselves – they did that using various help and support, not just one particular route.

“The fact that the 'success' rate for this group far exceeds expectations put on the treatment and recovery services – 80% of them are still in recovery after more than a year - shows that community, empowerment and belonging have a real role in long term recovery.”

Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas, who will speak at the recovery festival at 2pm, said:

“The 4th UK Recovery Walk is set to be an incredibly inspiring event, which recognises the huge achievements of those who have managed to turn – and are still turning – their lives around.

“Substance misuse affects individuals, families and communities, and this celebration is as much about those people who have helped and supported others towards recovery as it is about those making the journey themselves.

“One important message from the Walk is that there are many roads to recovery from addiction, and in Brighton and Hove, we are working hard to ensure that whoever wants and needs help gets it – whether through abstinence programmes, support within the criminal justice system, or engagement with friends and families to help reduce harms from substance misuse.

“And thanks to a forward thinking NHS, city council, police force and local agencies and community projects, efforts to treat, prevent and minimise drug related harms are leading to more lives in the city being saved.

“The recent summit held by the city’s new Drugs Commission, focusing particularly on young people and asking them whether services are working – is a clear sign that Brighton and Hove is committed to an open dialogue and an evidence-based approach to dealing with drugs.”

ENDS