It aims to support people struggling with addictions and mental health issues
A leading residential rehab centres has teamed up with the St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation to create a new community hub for people recovering from alcohol and substance use issues.
Abbeycare, which runs a rehab facility in Erskine, is offering the weekly drop-in sessions at the SMiSA stadium, with the first due to take place on 3 September.
The new hub, delivered in partnership with the foundation and funded by Renfrewshire Council, aims to support people struggling with a range of addictions and mental health issues.
Its three-hour Abbeycare Buddies sessions will begin with a hot meal and provide a safe, welcoming and inspiring environment for people in the local community to access recovery-focused interventions.
Each week, a guest speaker will share their recovery story, during a session chaired by an expert from Abbeycare or a volunteer with lived experience of addiction and recovery. Everyone who attends will also be given the opportunity to share their own experiences with the group, and receive support and advice from the Abbeycare team.
The sessions will run from 6pm to 9pm every Wednesday and attendees will also have the opportunity to become volunteers for the project, developing their own personal and professional skills in a supportive environment.
A range of regular activities will also be organised in partnership with other local organisations, including yoga, meditation and mindfulness sessions.
Creative workshops will be delivered in partnership with The Recovery Collective, including creative writing, scriptwriting, drama workshops, film production, songwriting, and guitar lessons.
There will also be a 12-week photography course delivered by Open Aye, with participants able to choose the subjects covered.
The St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation, the club’s official charity, is providing the venue for the sessions as well as a hot meal and refreshments every week.
Its aims are to build lasting community connections in Renfrewshire, at the same time as supporting people’s health and wellbeing and making them more resilient.
With a full schedule running all year, the charity works with and supports people of all ages and backgrounds, and is committed to delivering positive change.
Eddie Clarke, outreach manager at Abbeycare, said: “The reason that so many people love football and support their local club is because of the sense of community it brings, and it is something that is also key to this exciting partnership.
“As a local provider of residential rehab, we recognise the importance of community engagement, and together with the St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation, we believe we can make a positive difference in Renfrewshire.
“The Abbeycare Buddies sessions will connect people struggling with addiction and mental health issues with our expert team and our network of volunteers, all of whom have lived experience of similar issues themselves.
“We’re grateful to Renfrewshire Council for funding the project and can’t wait for the first session at the stadium. We hope this will be the start of a long-lasting partnership that will help reduce alcohol and drug-related harms.”
Gayle Brannigan, CEO of the St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation, said: “Recovery is an area we have always been very passionate about. We appreciate that most people’s lives will have been impacted by addiction, whether that be directly or indirectly, all of us know someone who has lived with or is living with the illness.
“For the foundation, it has been important to find a recovery partner whose ethos is fully aligned with ours, and who we feel offers a variety of holistic therapies and expertise post-detox. We have definitely found this with Abbeycare in Erskine.
“We are very excited about the format of Abbeycare Buddies, the Wednesday night sessions are unique and vibrant, and will be held in a safe and welcoming space here at the stadium.
“In addition to Renfrewshire Council, we give huge thanks to our very own Patron Saint Ken Mearns, who personally donated funds to kick-start the project, as recovery is a subject very close to his heart.”
Kenny Mearns, whose donation helped fund the project, added: “I have for some time been an admirer of the work that the St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation has done for the people of Paisley and Renfrewshire through their numerous programmes. “Being a lifelong St Mirren supporter, I was delighted to become a Patron Saint and assist with the funding of the Abbeycare Buddies sessions, something that is close to my heart.”
