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Tony

I have been married 50 years and, with my wife Sue, I have had three children. For the last 25 years I have run my own business and I am now semi-retired.

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Some time ago, I witnessed a life besieged by alcoholism from close quarters. I also saw how the AA 12 step programme combined with loving support succeeded in helping someone achieve a full recovery to both sobriety and a fulfilled life beyond addiction.

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It was in 2015 when God chose to remind me of this experience and called me to combine my career skills and my life experience to start the Roots ministry.

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Pete

After being in addiction myself for over 25yrs, I can now say with a joyful heart that I have been set free and have now been in recovery for 14 yrs .


I broke free from my addiction in a Christian  community called Betel by  allowing Jesus into my heart .  Whilst in Betel  I became a key part of the work there as a staff member.


During the last 14yrs I have had the opportunity and privilege to help and guide many on the road to recovery. 


I have a passion to help the lost and broken and to see men and women break free from their addiction and get on the road to recovery.

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Dawn

I have been free of my alcohol addiction for nearly 11 yrs.  Before that I was an alcoholic for over 20 yrs.  I nearly lost my son and family because of it, and was very close to loosing my life.
 
One day I chose to say yes to Jesus and let him fill the huge hole I had in my heart and life. And as a result, today I have a wonderful life living in freedom. 

 

I also now have a real passion to help those who are in the same place I was, Rock Bottom. I long to see lives transformed and  set free. 

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Phil

I started drinking at the age of 15  when my dad died. I left school with no qualifications, and I took on poor jobs that just paid for the nights out with my “mates”. By 18 years old I was out Fri, St and Sun, at night clubs and pubs with my drinking buddies. Travelling to all the home and away Hartlepool matches. Life was football, booze and lost jobs.

Then Anne Marie (my current partner) came into my life. I hid my drinking, but it would not be long before it would all go wrong. I crashed the car under the influence and was banned from driving. Not that this stopped me drinking but Anne Marie stayed with me and eventually convinced me to seek help.

We went together to We are With You the Drug and Alcohol treatment centre in Darlington, and they helped me get sober. They also introduced me to Roots, and I can’t tell you just how much that changed my recovery.  From the time I first walked in and met Tony, Pete and Dawn and all the others I felt life change for the better.

Now I had help from all sides, groups to attend and a new set of people around me who understood what I was going through and loved me none the less. It is no exaggeration to say that the combination of We are with you, Roots and the Basement saved my life from a downward spiral

In early 2023 I started to attend church. More out of curiosity than anything else. At the same time, I also discovered and engaged with the 12 steps. Steps 1,2, and 3 encourage you to reach outside of yourself and engage with your higher power. I decided my higher power was Jesus and I gave my life to him. On Easter Sunday I was baptised and since that time I have felt the love from people I’ve never met before it’s crazy. At first, I was overwhelmed but now I am starting to get it.

Life is so good now. I have been sober for 8 months, I have found Jesus and I have people all around who care about me. I am enjoying life with my family Anne Marie and my two

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