Recovery Cafe offering 'a safe space for people to come and socialise'

A NEW Recovery Cafe, which provides a safe space for those recovering from addiction has opened in Navan.

The Recovery Cafe is based at the Meath Community Drug and Alcohol Response (MCDAR) premises on Abbey Road, opening on a Tuesday evening.

"It provides a safe space for people to come and socialise. When people are keeping away from drugs and alcohol, it can be hard to socialise," says Joanne O’Dwyer, project co-ordinator, MCDAR.

The Recovery Cafe is just one of the many services offered by MCDAR, a community organisation supporting people with addiction issues in Meath for the past 20 years.

Operating from two premises, Abbey Road in Navan and Haggard Mews in Trim MCDAR provides a range of services to individuals who may be experiencing difficulties with substance misuse and addiction.

"We are a safe non-judgemental environment where issues underpinning addiction can be explored. Our service is an over 18’s service and anyone can make a referral to MCDAR," says Joanne.

As well as support with addiction issues, MCDAR helps those in recovery with housing issues and offers a Strengthening Families Programme.

For the past month, they have been celebrating Recovery Month which saw them involved in a number of initiatives celebrating people in recovery, including a cycle by the Ballymun Recovery Cafe Group to Navan where they had a great gathering and celebration at the Navan Recovery Cafe before cycling back to Ballymun.

The new Recovery Cafe in Navan has been in operation for the past four weeks.

Recovery coach, Stephen Reilly, who is involved in two of the cafes in Dublin started the Navan group along with with Navan man, Tom Mongan who is training as a recovery coach and Michael Dwyer a recovery coach from Dundalk.

"The cafe provides a safe place where people can come and talk with other like minded people. It provides a social outlet. We meet from 5.30 to 7.30pm and we hope to have speakers to talk about their experiences and what recovery means to them."

Stephen says he battled addiction all his life. "I've always lived in Navan and when I was looking for the kind of help you get from the Recovery Cafe, I had to be referred to the cafe in Blanchardstown - that is why I wanted to set one up in Navan," he explains.

"I have turned my life around, but I know how hard it is."

Joanne, who says she is recovering from heroin addiction, says that Recovery Month celebrated and championed people in recovery from addiction.

Every year there is a recovery walk from the Garden of Remembrance to Merrion Square and MCDAR were part of that this year.

"We had some smaller in-house events as well - Recovery Through Music and a Coffee and Chat event in Blackwater Park."

Joanne says that in the past people in recovery from addiction hid in corners but MCDAR is very open and they want people to see that recovery is possible.

"As a former heroin addict I want to be a role model and show people you can recover."

MCDAR operates from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday offering one to one support with key workers,

There is also a drop in period from 2 to 4pm on Monday and Wednesday, where individuals can come in, have a cup of tea, get warm, get a change of clothes and advice.

"We have a cocaine support group on a Wednesday night between 6 and 7.30pm - it is aimed at people who are working and trying to address their issues with cocaine.

"Cocaine is rampant is Navan and we are trying to address that.

"We are involved in a prison link funded by the Department of Justice working with people about to go to prison, we visit people in prison and help them when they are coming out so they don't go back to their old ways."

MCDAR holds a housing clinic on a Monday morning for those at risk of homelessness or who have been evicted.

There are after-care sessions on a Monday night for those coming out of a treatment programme. Participants must be four weeks alcohol or drug fee,

"We also go out into the community, to gardai, the schools and we advise organisations looking to support for those in addiction or recovery.

"We have a Strengthening Families Programme that has been running 15 or 16 years. It is a family oriented educational programme aimed at building the family unit up. providing support to parents and both older and younger teenagers."

The Mayor of Navan, Cllr Eddie Fennessy, who paid a visit to the recovery Cafe last week, said Navan is a better place for MCDAR. "Society can be a cold house if you're vulnerable and suffering. The Recovery Cafe is a great project, I commend Steven and his colleagues for taking this initiative.

"They offer a safe space and a welcome smile which is really important. An open arm to people struggling with addiction, can be the catalyst that encourages a first step on the long road to recovery.

"Supports and services provided by Joanne and the team at MCDAR are crucial to the wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable people in our community."It is a really important service and it needs to be better resourced than it is. Navan is a better place for MCDAR. I look forward to watching the service grow over the coming years," he said.