19th September 2024
Belfast Recovery College is delighted to launch their self-published book Reflections on Our Journey.
Reflections on Our Journey is a collection of stories from Recovery College co-facilitators and students on each of their personal recovery journeys and how their mental health has been positively impacted by their experience at Belfast Recovery College. Each piece speaks with courage, care, candour and compassion about their lives and experience.
The book was developed through a co-production model at the Recovery College, offering staff, educators and students the opportunity to help piece together a final product that encompassed what they all feel is the best reflection of Belfast Recovery College.
Harry Miller, Service Co-Lead for the Recovery College, spoke of the pride within the college now the book is available to the public. He said: “Reflections on our Journey epitomises the ethos of the college, a book filled with stories of hope, opportunity and control, that was co-designed and co-produced with both lived and learned experience. It makes me extremely proud to be part of the College, and the book launch is a fitting way to celebrate the Recovery College and recognise the efforts of everyone involved in bringing these stories to life.”
Paul Stevenson provided the illustrations for the cover of the book and each of the written pieces. Having come through the college as a student and now actively participating as a peer educator he spoke of the privilege he feels seeing his artwork displayed in the book. He said: “It was an amazing experience to do this art because it wasn’t for me, it was more reading these stories and applying a bit of art from what I was reading and it just came together lovely. It started off as one story at first but and they asked me to do a piece of artwork for the book itself, but it worked so well they asked me to do more and it was so enjoyable. The stories were talking, and I was laying down artwork. To have our artwork placed in such a privileged way is fantastic.”
Orla Tierney, Co-Director for Mental Health Services, added that launch of this book it’s the start of an exciting time ahead for the Recovery College. She Said: “The launch of ‘Reflections on our Journey’ is a significant milestone in the journey of the Recovery College. It marks the culmination of years of effort by the contributors and our peer workforce. The Mental Health & CAMHS Division are progressive in promoting the role of the Peer and have developed a strong Peer Workforce structure. I am excited to see how the Recovery College can further play a role in Implementing Recovery through Organisational Change.”
Reflections on Our Journey is now available to the public for free. Copies can be collected directly from Belfast Recovery College at their premises located at Ground Floor, Lanyon Building, 10 North Derby Street, Belfast.