SUIT Service User Led Projects
Football
Football is available to any drug service user in Wolverhampton. It is a great way of meeting new people in a safe environment and enjoying the ‘natural buzz’ that this wonderful sport can give. Also, it is a way of relieving some of the stresses that substance misuse can place upon an individual, and one of the main benefits is that participants release natural endorphins (which especially heroin, blocks the brain receptors to).
We play every Monday afternoon at Wolverhampton University Sports Hall facility, as well as entering local tournaments. We hope to join a league soon.
Recently, local charity Wolves Aid donated Wolverhampton Wanderers football kit for us to play in. So thank you Rachel and Barbara from Wolves Aid.
If you live in Wolverhampton and are interested in joining our team, then call Patrick on (01902 328983), or text SUIT Football to 88010 (standard network charges apply).
Allotment
What can we say about our allotment, it’s a wonderful outdoor facility that we believe can benefit drug users in many ways.
We have a substantial plot of land in the Heath Town area of Wolverhampton (which is a 10 minute bus ride from the city centre).
Some of the benefits include, fresh air, light exercise and giving ownership to participants of their own piece of nature.
To date, we have grown such vegetables as onions, garlic, potatoes, courgettes, carrots, strawberries, radish plus more. The attendees can take this fresh produce home to enjoy. Healthy eating doesn’t get much more pleasurable than this.
If you live in Wolverhampton and are interested in volunteering at our Allotment, then call our allotment co-ordinator Rob on (01902 328983), or text SUIT Allotment to 88010 (standard network charges apply).
Art
Here at suit we have the opportunity for service users to create their own pieces of art. Art is already widely used throughout health services and is known for its potential to make contribution to service user’s health, wellbeing and life skills.
Some of our volunteers and service users have already created pieces of art work for Addiction Services (drug treatment provider) which is displayed in the main waiting area. The service users who created the art work say it helps them to take their mind off using drugs and gives them time and space to concentrate on what they want from their lives.
If you live in Wolverhampton and are interested in our art project then please contact us call Sunny on (01902) 328983 of text SUIT ART to 88010 (standard network charges apply).
Presentations
Most of our team are ex or current drug service users, they have a great deal of knowledge on services and the way they work.
We are experts in the field of addiction and this knowledge is extremely useful to professionals. SUIT are often called upon for our knowledge and personal experiences, to date we have delivered many presentations.
Some examples of the training and presentations we have delivered include awareness and consultation sessions for Job Centre, Probation Services and Pharmacy training events to name but a few. It is an eye-opening experience for delegates who listen to the presentations, and important for our volunteers who deliver them as it gives them a boost in confidence and self esteem.
If you are an organisation, and think that you may benefit from our expertise, then please e mail your request (inc. dates and locations) to -: sdhadley@wolverhamptonvsc.org.uk
Boxing
This is one of our newest service user led projects that aims to improve the fitness levels of service users. It also benefits mental attitude, self esteem, confidence, discipline – all skills that people can transfer into other areas of their lives.
We hold this event weekly at a local gym, and hire a professional instructor that takes our guys through regimes and techniques in a structured way.
If you live in Wolverhampton and are a drug service user and are interested in joining our team, then call Patrick on (01902) 328983 or text SUIT Boxing to 88010 (standard network charges apply).
