I had the honour of being invited by Double Impact’s Chief Executive, Graham Miller, to present an award at their Spirit of Recovery Awards this week in my capacity as Past President of Nottingham City Business Club along with the Club’s current President, Mr Mark Deakin.
It was a double celebration as it coincided with Double Impact’s 20th anniversary.
What an amazing afternoon with so many inspiring stories of success!
There were 11 categories on total:
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We presented the Employment Champion award.
The winners of this award are a forward-thinking company who share Double Impact’s values and commitment to helping people in recovery rebuild their lives.
They have been very supportive to Double Impact’s employment-focused projects and service users who are wanting to improve their chances of employment in the future.
They are currently providing volunteer placements to several individuals in different areas of their business and are supporting other participants by conducting mock interviews to improve their confidence and employability.
To quote one nomination ’All the staff, in particular Jess and Jodie, have welcomed our volunteers to their team and treat them just the same as they do their paid employees.’
Companies like these give people in recovery hope and reassure people who are trying to rebuild their lives that people genuinely care!
AND THE WINNER IS . . .
THE TREAT KITCHEN
Congratulations Jess and Jodie!
Further congratulations to all the nominees, finalists and other category winners . . . you’re all Stars!
To finish in the words of Dr Ira Unell. Chair of the Board of Trustees at Double Impact . . .
“Double Impact started small, with a sole member of staff and a commitment to supporting those with drug and alcohol problems achieve abstinence and work towards recovery. At that time Nottingham already had a well-developed drug and alcohol service, but more was needed to help those who were becoming abstinent to sustain their recovery and successfully re-establish themselves in society. We now employ more than 50 people in two counties working with over 1000 people per year. Despite the ongoing struggle with the cuts in funding, our commitment is a strong as ever.”
You can learn more about Double Impact and the fabulous work they do here
There are many ways you can support Double Impact and one simple one, if you’re local to Nottingham, is to use their cafe based on Friar Lane Cafe Sobar
Cafe Sobar is an innovative and vibrant alcohol-free cafe and venue in the city centre of Nottingham. Established in January 2013, with the support of a grant from the Big Lottery Fund, it acts as a safe ‘hub’ for people in recovery to build supportive social networks and provides voluntary employment opportunities for them to gain a foothold in the job market. The venue hosts a range of events and activities, including live music and comedy performances, art exhibitions, informal groups and discussions, family fun days and other varied social activities. Open seven days a week, the venue stays open late to host regular recovery groups and other events.
Operating as a social enterprise on the high street, any profits go directly to support the work of the charity so next time you’re in Nottingham and fancy coffee (and maybe some fabulous cake!) pop in!
Double Impact Celebrating 20 years