“I’ve found my family”

I was at a group with ROADS when I first heard about RAW People, I thought why not put my name forward. A week or so later I was contacted by Sam. Me being me put off going to this new group for a little while, but Sam kept contacting me and reassuring me that I would be okay. So, I went to the group and met Sam and Jamie. I was so impressed, no, I was enamoured, I ended up phoning a friend from ROADS who also struggled with the other services and telling him he should come and give this new group a try.Fast forward a few months and not only have I found an amazing group, I’ve found my family, a community where we’re all encouraged to learn and thrive, and as with all families, there’s been disagreements and arguments, but these were all soon sorted out professionally. Sam has helped me to realise I can do and be anything that I want to be. I have never had a place or a community where I belonged before coming to the next chapter.Through Sam and all the other peers I’ve met at the drop in centre, I’ve blown past my own insecurities and now I’ve even applied to volunteer there too. The whole recovery services in Rotherham have helped me and many, many others remain clean and sober. The peers at RAW People go above and beyond to help anyone and invest in their wellbeing.So I personally want to say the biggest thank you to Sam, thank you for listening and never judging me, thank you for believing in me, and thank you for encouraging me to become the best version of myself.