Recovery Stories - Daniel
I arrived at River Garden in the Autumn of 2018 and it’s fair to say I was in a terrible state both mentally and physically. In the early days I was so uncomfortable in my own skin, and had trouble even looking other people in the eye, much less speaking to them! Over time and through the peer support here, I rebuilt my confidence and became an important part of the team. I joined the local running club and made lots of new friends along the way. I was also involved in supporting other local recovery projects in Ayr and this really built my network of people in recovery locally.
Throughout my stay at River Garden, I was able to take part in lots of training courses and development activities. I naturally gravitated towards outdoor work and, over time, I took over responsibility for maintaining the grounds here at River Garden. I took a lot of pride in improvements I was able to make to the site overall, from cutting the grass to maintaining the machinery and buildings. Alongside this work, I was also trained in chainsaw use, and used these skills to assist in the early days of River Garden Wood. I’ll take all these experiences, skills and training with me onwards into my future career and they will hopefully stand me in good stead.
Over the latter part of 2021, I was keen to secure employment and applied for several roles, including the role of Groundsman at Neogen, a biotechnology firm with a base on the Auchincruive Estate. I was successful in this and commenced my role shortly after. I am very grateful to Neogen for giving me this opportunity; it was such a boost to my confidence. They provided me with a variety of training and this has helped me add even more strings to my bow.
In October 2021 I became the first resident to complete the three year residential programme at River Garden, an achievement I’m very proud of. I hope that my experiences can be a bit of an inspiration to other residents who are just beginning their journey and, going forward, I hope to cover some weekend shifts so I’m able to give something back and support newer residents, helping to guide them along the way.
Now that I've completed my River Garden programme, I’ve made the move to my own place in nearby Ayr. It’s a big step but I’ve had lots of support from River Garden; I initially spent a couple of nights a week back on site just to help me that transition. In 2021, I made the decision to learn to drive. I’ve now passed my test and, by putting aside some money and saving up, I’ve recently bought a car.
With all the support I received at River Garden, it cemented in me the ambition to be able to help others on their recovery journeys. With this in mind, I recently applied for a Recovery Development Worker with a local council and I am delighted to report that I got the job!
It’s an amazing programme which has changed my life for the better so if I can encourage other residents to do the same then I’ll have achieved something. It’s an exciting future with so many opportunities ahead but I wouldn’t be anywhere close to the life I have now without the support given to me by River Garden.
