Watch TV news footage of River Garden's opening in March 2018

What IF recovery from addiction was available to anyone who wanted it?

What IF the programme was free to participants and was self-sufficient from national and local government funding?
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Welcome to IF! Independence From Drugs and Alcohol Scotland (IFDAS)

River Garden Auchincruive opened in March 2018. It will be a residential training and social enterprise development centre for people in the early stages of recovery from drug and/or alcohol addiction modelled on the three most successful and transformative self-help organisations for people in recovery across the globe: San Patrignano (Italy), Basta (Sweden) and Delancey Street (USA), which have been producing successful results helping people into long-term recovery, reintegrating into employment and mainstream society (70%-80%).

​Please watch our news page for details about the development of the community.

Why is IFDAS needed?

FIND OUT HERE

Love and solidarity, boundaries, and training and employment for social enterprise activities

​We have been inspired by these successes to set up a recovery community in Scotland that supports people to live a drug and alcohol-free life. River Garden Auchincruive is based on the same principles of abstinence, trust, firm boundaries, mutual support, social enterprise, respect for life, and responsibility.  Participants will receive training and social support in a range of social enterprise activities to create a visitor destination using the existing refurbished gardens, and establishing a café, bakery, garden nursery, and fresh food for sale and processing, alongside other craft industries on site, and eventually expanding our business activities to the wider community. 

River Garden opened in March 2018 with the first 10 of the planned 40 beds currently in place. If you want to find out how to apply, visit the Support pages of our website.