“I would never have thought I would be here doing a proper job. I never thought I’d get clean. I thought I’d probably end up dead somewhere.”
This is what Katy Goodman tells the Echo as Kaleidoscope, a charity she now works at, prepares to open up a new facility on the Wirral and move from its current location in Birkenhead.
Kaleidoscope is a national charity that helps more than 10,000 people a year struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.
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Katy spent more than 22 years struggling with different drug addictions but in July 2018, she went in for her third detox and since then she has remained clean. She said she now works with people every day who were in the same position as her five years ago.
Seven months after her last detox in 2019, Katy started volunteering with Kaleidoscope and has now had a full time job there for two years. She said: “When I got clean, I wanted to give back and wanted to give back to Birchwood and Kaleidoscope.
“Obviously I am helping people like myself. I am helping the people doing their alcohol detoxes, I do the group sessions. All the staff are fantastic but unless you get recovery workers in there as I can get down with them as I have the same experience. I know how they are feeling."
About to turn 50 in April, Katy said: “I think it shows the possibility of how far you can come” and now considers herself "a productive member of society."
Kaleidoscope is looking to move to a custom built facility on Broad Lane, Heswall at the beginning of May with the new location near Heswall Boat Yard and the Wirral Way. It will treat more than 1,000 patients a year.
The new facility will provide 10 rooms for people in rehab and 15 for people undergoing detox for drugs and alcohol. The facility will provide people with medical and mental health support as well as engage people in activities like gardening, allotments, looking after animals and taking part in workshops.
For those in rehab, they will be able to go out and enjoy the surrounding area. The new building will be more accessible with lift access and the company is looking to provide kennels so people can bring their pets. The new building will also come with a 9.2 acre field and staffed 24 hours a day.
One thing staff at Kaleidoscope said made the company different was employing people who had previously struggled with addiction. Gary Lee is now 20 years clean after going through a five week detox and several months in rehab.
He initially got involved with various different rehab organisations on a voluntary basis working with children whose parents are struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. Having been in several jobs since, he now works as the Therapeutic Lead at Kaleidoscope.
Katy said the company was "a lovely environment to work in" and considered it the "dream job." When she started she said she didn't know how to use things like a computer but Kaleidoscope helped support her.
Michael Wolfe, administrator for the company, said 30 to 50% of referrals for the centre will be from Merseyside, adding: “It’s a lot better facility for what we’re trying to do. We're completely separating the detox and rehab programs and it allows us the ability to have a lot more activities to do outdoors with the clients."
He said: “We hope to bring a lot of skills but allow people to live in urban areas who are quite reclusive to enjoy the countryside and really connect with themselves.”He said the facility would cater for detox for any type of drug and would open May 10 after five years in the works."
Michael added: “We have a patient centred therapeutic approach to rehabilitation. We’d have the group sessions but then we’re trying to give people the opportunity to take part in activities they hadn’t done before. At the moment we take people for walks down by the river, we take people out fishing. It might be the first time they’ve experienced something like that.”
He added: “When they leave it’s going to be a lot of trying to find employment but also find enjoyment in life outside of your addiction.”
Mayor Jeff Green was at the event and can remember as a child when the building used to be a youth club. He said: “I have seen this site develop over the years, it’s the most beautiful site with some gorgeous stunning views and a great facility. The process and the program they operate here, clearly it works.
“The primary thing is there are human lives that are being wrecked by addiction, whether that’s alcohol or drugs. This service, as a program that works, is going to give people their lives back and they can live a full life back in society.”
Cllr Yvonne Nolan, chair of Wirral Council’s health committee, said: “It is a really valuable development. This is larger, it is in a beautiful setting and we shouldn't underestimate the impact of the environment on people who are in recovery.
“It is really interesting to speak to people here who were in recovery themselves and are now staff members, they've got really interesting stories to tell.”
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