27/05/2026
💙MEET THE TEAM - LEEK💙
Hi, I’m Leanne. After years of addiction, poor mental and physical health, and being in and out of various services, I finally got the opportunity to go to rehab.
In the four months that I was there, I found out what a community really is. I had never been around so many people with lived experience before. Speaking to like-minded people was like speaking to my own brain, and the relief, sense of belonging, and understanding was amazing.
I’d had clean time before, a couple of years here, a few months there, but after finding the recovery community and understanding what connection truly meant, I realised why I’d never maintained a strong, solid recovery before.
After rehab, I came back to the Staffordshire Moorlands and “stayed connected.” I built genuine friendships where we could talk about anything without feeling judged — just understanding, warmth, and love. All of my peers in recovery lived an hour away, and I’d heard them speak about and attend Better Way, but there was nothing like it around me. There was no recovery service that gave that same connection with like-minded people — something I now know saves lives.
When a good friend I went through rehab with, who also volunteers with Better Way in Burton, told me they were starting one in Leek, I knew it was badly needed and knew I wanted to be involved. During previous periods of clean time, I had always volunteered in Leek, but because of my disability, I struggled to travel for volunteer opportunities this time around. Then, almost exactly 12 months after coming out of treatment, I was given the opportunity to help people on the road to recovery here in my hometown.
Somebody recently told me, “Build a life that you are terrified to lose,” and making new friendships while being part of an amazing charity and a passionate team of people in recovery is the beginning of that for me.
In my hometown, I want to give people the hope, strength, and understanding that I received when I thought there was no way out. Seeing people walk through the doors of Better Way asking for help reminds me of where I once was, and it is an honour to be part of their journey and to share my own experiences with them.
