Mulberry & Me

My Name is Lee, and I am a former resident of Mulberry Community Projects in Blackpool. Before coming to Mulberry my life was somewhat of a mess. I was homeless and unable to keep accommodation for more than one payment of the rent. I was regular at A&E with concerns due to alcohol but would just leave without any treatment or help. I had no contact with my family or children. I was on probation following release from prison again due to alcohol issues. My mental health was not good, I was sectioned several times. I was having to turn to petty crime to fund my dependence on alcohol. I was angry and had challenging behaviour. I was quite challenging for our local drug and alcohol services, several programs, detox’s, and rehabilitation courses would only last a few weeks and I would relapse. Alcohol caused me to destroy my whole life, a loving wife, children, a promising culinary career, my liberty, dignity, self-respect, and the will to live.

I made the effort to stay abstinent for four weeks and applied to Mulberry with the help of my probation officer. I concluded that not only did I need help, but I wanted it. I wanted a home and not just a place to stay, I wanted to know how to live without a mind-altering substance and how to manage the massive change I had begun to make. I needed to connect to positive people in recovery. Mulberry housed me in a Green Pastures property that very quickly became home.

Mulberry helped me attend college to retrain, provided a meaningful recovery program, helped me become a SMART recovery facilitator, encourage me to deal with everything I had ignored over the past 30 years, gave me the skills to live life without alcohol, gave me the opportunity to make memories with my peers and deal with life as it happens instead of running away from it.

My life is now hugely different, I have regular contact with my children, I have my own independent home, I work full time with local drug and alcohol services, my bills are paid, I no longer have any legal issues, I feel secure, I am over Three and a half years clean and sober, I no longer want to harm myself, I feel part of a community and society, I feel proud of myself, and I feel loved.

None of this has been easy to achieve, there have been difficult moments however with the help, support, and encouragement of the family that is Mulberry, I even like myself. I walked into Mulberry with a carrier bag and left with a life.