Caroline Whittaker, Catherine Doyle, Gavin Burton, AJ Salt, and Francine Fairfield 2023

Collaborative – Peer Mentor: Caroline Whittaker, Stoke 

Caroline has a vibrant personality and is determined in her own recovery, which then informs her work to encourage others in their journeys. She has volunteered with group sessions, and on reception to help welcome clients into the service. She encourages clients to engage in support and the benefits of groups, and approaches everyone with warmth and kindness. Caroline recently lead a coffee morning drop-in at the service and developed some activities to get people talking and connecting. The session was a huge success and she encouraged clients to feel safe enough to add to the conversations, while also creating a positive atmosphere. Caroline is respectful of others and is committed to helping people on their recovery journeys. She is very much leading the way in being a wonderful example of an excellent volunteer and team player, sharing her own lived experience. 

Inspiring – Peer Mentor: Catherine Doyle, Liverpool 

Catherine was using heroin from the age of 15, and spent 27 years using methadone as a part of her recovery. She supports peer support groups at the service and believes that non-judgmental, compassionate support is the best way to help people through recovery. She helps to raise awareness of WAWY in the local area and on the national stage through major broadcast interviews where she shares her inspiring personal journey. Catherine has been integral to educating people on the benefits of Naloxone in countering the effects of opiods, particularly those who are homeless where she helps with signposting them to services which can support them. Even when she faces personal challenges, Catherine consistently supports the service and is a positive advocate and role model for recovery. 

Self-Challenging – Peer Mentor: Gavin Burton, Lincoln 

Gavin has only been a Peer Mentor for a short time, but has gone above and beyond to support his service and its clients. He originally supported the facilitation of the service’s men’s peer support group and has been a great help with this group, creating advertisements and providing support from his own lived experience. He has also offered to help with other groups where he felt he could provide peer support, including the late night workshops and Pride celebrations, where he offered to spend his Saturday supporting staff and raising awareness about the work of WAWY in the local area. Gavin is great at engaging with the public and spreading the word about services in the area. He is always up for learning and improving himself to further support the service and clients. 

Resilient – Peer Mentor: AJ Salt, Lancashire Young People 

Aidan is a remarkable young man who navigated his recovery with the support of WAWY and now gives their time to support the service that helped them in a number of ways. AJ openly shares their story with both staff and young people, and is completely flexible to meeting young people in an outreach capacity which helped to widen the reach of their engagement and encourage more young people to seek support where they need it. AJ supports in delivering training and facilitating a peer support link-up group with other volunteers and staff. AJ also speaks at events about their recovery and how WAWY supported them, as well as supporting new volunteers when they join the service to make them feel comfortable. 

Ethical – Peer Mentor: Francine Fairfield, Liverpool 

Francine has been a Recovery Champion and Peer Mentor for around seven months, overcoming her own shyness and maintaining her own recovery, while welcoming people into the service and making them aware of the support that is available to them in the community. She is always the first to respond when staff ask for assistance and has helped to conduct questionnaires to build the picture of recovery in the community and unearth any needs that have not yet been met. Francine volunteers a number of times a week and gives additional time when needed. She inspires others that recovery is possible and is the face of recovery and hope for other service users.