As Christmas approaches, I want to pause and speak plainly, and with gratitude, to everyone who has walked alongside Faces & Voices of Recovery UK this year.
2025 has been a hard year for our country. Drug deaths remain at record highs. Families across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are grieving losses that were not inevitable. Too many people are still being told to wait, to cope, or to accept less than a real chance at recovery.
And yet, this year has also been full of quiet, stubborn hope.
I have seen it in community centres, churches, recovery cafés, prisons, mutual-aid rooms and kitchen tables where courage is practised daily. I saw it in Wolverhampton, when thousands filled the streets for the UK Recovery Walk, not to protest, but to witness. To say out loud what should never be controversial: people can and do recover, and every person deserves that chance.
At FAVOR UK, we exist because too many people are lost in systems that manage decline instead of restoring lives. Our advocacy casework has grown because the need has grown. People come to us when doors have closed, when criteria have failed them, when bureaucracy has forgotten the human being in front of it. This year, not one person on our caseload died. That matters. It tells us that accompaniment, persistence and truth still save lives.
Our movement is not built on slogans. It is built on dignity, solidarity and the refusal to lie to ourselves about what is working and what is not. Compassion, if it means anything at all, must help people live, not merely survive.
Christmas, at its heart, is about hope arriving where it was least expected. Light entering places of exhaustion and fear. That is what recovery looks like too. Not perfection. Not instant transformation. But the possibility of new life, offered freely and defended fiercely.
To everyone who has supported us this year, whether by funding, volunteering, challenging us, praying, marching, sharing our work, or simply believing that recovery is possible, thank you. This movement runs on courage and community, and you are part of both.
As we move toward 2026 and look ahead to Bradford and beyond, we do so with clarity and resolve. The road ahead will not be easy, but it is hopeful. And we will keep walking it together.
From all of us at Faces & Voices of Recovery UK, I wish you and those you love a peaceful, honest and hope-filled Christmas.
With gratitude and determination,
ANNEMARIE
This Christmas, You’re Not Alone For many, the festive season can be a time of joy and connection, but for others, it can be overwhelming and isolating – especially when support services are closed or harder to access. At FAVOR UK, we want you to know that help is still available, and there are incredible mutual aid organisations ready to support you or your loved ones during this time. Here’s a list of national resources you can turn to:
Alateen For teenagers (12–17 years old) with relatives who use(d) alcohol problematically.
Call: 0207 593 2070
Visit: http://al-anonuk.org.uk/alateen
Al-Anon For relatives, friends, and colleagues affected by someone’s problematic alcohol use
Call: 0800 0086 811
Email: helpline@al-anonuk.org.uk
Visit: http://al-anonuk.org.uk
Alcoholics Anonymous For people who use(d) alcohol problematically.
Call: 0800 9177650
Email: help@aamail.org
Live Chat: Available on their website
Visit: http://alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
Cocaine Anonymous For people who use(d) any mind-altering substance problematically.
Call: 0800 612 0225
Email: helpline@cauk.org.uk
Visit: http://cocaineanonymous.org.uk
Families Anonymous For relatives and friends concerned about someone’s substance use.
Call: 0207 4984 680
Visit: http://famanon.org.uk
Narcotics Anonymous For people who use(d) any mind-altering substance problematically.
Call: 0300 999 1212
Visit: http://ukna.org
SMART Recovery A CBT-based programme for anyone struggling with addictive behaviours. Includes specific groups for families, veterans, women, and LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Visit: http://smartrecovery.org.uk
Other 12-Step Fellowships Discover more fellowships on the All-Party Parliamentary Group on 12-Step Recovery’s page:
Visit: http://12stepsappg.com/12-fellowships No matter what stage of dependence or recovery you’re in, there’s a group that welcomes you. This Christmas, let’s support one another and remember that recovery is possible, even during the toughest times. #WeDoRecover#RecoverySupport#FAVORUK#YouAreNotAlone#HopeForTheHolidays