Latest news with #Abbeycare
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alcohol-free music festival in Glasgow to return with well-known 90s stars
Scotland's alcohol-free music festival is returning with two big 90s acts headlining. Recovery Connects, designed to support and celebrate people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, will return to Queen's Park Arena in Glasgow on Saturday, 6 July. The event is free to attend, with no ticket required, and is open to everyone, including those simply looking for a festival experience without alcohol. (Image: Supplied) Read more: Megastar announces exciting Glasgow gig as part of arena tour This year's festival is set to be headlined by Leeroy Thornhill, formerly of The Prodigy, and will feature an acoustic set from Britpop indie band The Bluetones. DJ Snoopy, known from the Metro nightclub in Saltcoats, and tribute band Ocean Colour Scheme will also perform. Scottish comedian Darren Connell will introduce each act at the event. The festival is sponsored by Abbeycare, which runs drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinics in Scotland and England, and the charity We Are With You, with funding from the Corra Foundation. Now in its sixth year, Recovery Connects has grown from a small gathering to a festival attracting thousands of music fans from Glasgow and beyond. As well as the musical entertainment, the festival will feature a variety of other family-friendly activities, as well as food and non-alcoholic drinks. Stalls operated by recovery, mental health, and homelessness services and local social enterprises will run throughout the event. The festival was founded by three friends in recovery — Eddie Clarke, Derek Watt, and Shaun Kenny — who together make up The Recovery Collective. (Image: Supplied) Read more: Indie band to perform in Glasgow after TRNSMT performance Eddie Clarke, outreach manager at Abbeycare and one of the festival organisers, said: "Recovery Connects keeps getting bigger every year, and we can't wait to hear the roar of the crowd in Queens Park Arena this summer as they sing along to some 90s classics. "We've come a long way over the past six years, starting off with just a few hundred people and growing into an event attracting thousands of music fans from Glasgow and beyond. "The festival started with the simple idea of bringing people in recovery together to celebrate what they've achieved, rather than hiding it away. "There is a community, family-friendly feel to it that you just don't get at other festivals, with people able to enjoy the music without being surrounded by alcohol." Doors for the event open at noon, with the festival running till 6.30pm.
Glasgow Times
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow broadcaster reveals struggle with alcohol and drugs
Scottish star Darren McGarvey, also known by his stage name Loki, said he used to spend 'vast sums of money' on alcohol, which he says became his 'whole personality'. The author, broadcaster and musician is known for his work on issues such as poverty, addiction, and politics. Having battled his own personal demons in his youth, McGarvey, who was born in Pollok, Glasgow, opened up about addiction on the second episode of Listen Up, a new podcast on recovery launched by Abbeycare. It is an alcohol and drug treatment centre in Erskine, Renfrewshire, where he was previously treated. McGarvey said he turned to drugs and alcohol for several reasons, including to cope with the death of his mother, as well as dealing with the ups and downs of fame. Glasgow broadcaster reveals struggle with alcohol and drugs (Image: Abbeycare/PA Wire) He said his addictions initially stemmed from his desire to cope with his anxiety, prompting him to use alcohol as well as drugs such as Valium and temazepam. During his appearance on the show, McGarvey said his addiction to drink began at the age of 16, shortly after the death of his mother, who was also an alcoholic. READ MORE: 'Street festival' to be held at popular Glasgow shopping centre this weekend He said: 'I got handed a beer after the funeral. It wasn't just the alcohol, it was the whole situation. I was the centre of attention that day. 'I was dressed in a suit, long coat, black tie, being handed a cold beer… all that came together and activated something where I was like, 'Ah, this is what I should be doing'. 'I remember actually going back to school that day… it was like the alcohol provided a suit of armour that I immediately wanted to try out.' In 2013, McGarvey quit drinking and attended college, where he gained a qualification in journalism. In 2017, he released his first book, Poverty Safari, which won the Orwell Prize in 2018. READ MORE: Glasgow's Barras to transform into Hong Kong street market for one weekend However, around the same time, he says his drug use began to spiral out of control, citing an occasion where a scheduled broadcast interview in London was cancelled. He said: 'When that interview got pulled, it felt as if the whole thing had crumbled. It was as if I had failed, and I couldn't cope with it. 'I ran round a Boots pharmacy and bought over-the-counter painkillers with enough codeine in them to take away the feelings that I had.' A year later, after he had been using similar drugs frequently, he checked into Abbeycare's rehabilitation clinic in Erskine, where his recovery journey began. He said: 'It was the first time I had been around ordinary folk for about two years, where I wasn't the keynote speaker, I wasn't special. 'There's no ceremony in there. It was humbling in a way that I needed.' READ MORE: Pair nicked after 'thefts at several properties' in busy area Hosted by Abbeycare's outreach manager Eddie Clarke, the show features a new guest each month who is invited to talk about their first-hand experience of addiction and recovery. It aims to reduce the stigma around drug and alcohol addiction through honest conversations, as well as demonstrating that recovery is possible. Mr Clarke said: 'I first met Darren when he had just checked into rehab with us, so it was brilliant to see how well he is doing now and to have such an honest conversation with him. 'His experiences show that even when people are enjoying great success in their careers, they can still be struggling with unaddressed addictions in the background. 'Given the levels of alcohol and drug-related harm in Scotland, it's more important than ever that we talk honestly about addiction, and that is what our podcast set out to do. 'We hope that people who might be struggling alone will listen and take heart from our guests' stories and insights over the coming months.'
STV News
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- STV News
Darren McGarvey says alcohol was once his ‘whole personality'
A Scottish rapper and activist has told of his plight in battling drug and alcohol addiction, saying he would 'move heaven and earth' in pursuit of his next hit. Darren McGarvey, also known by his stage name Loki, said he used to spend 'vast sums of money' on alcohol, which he says became his 'whole personality'. The author, broadcaster and musician is known for his work on issues such as poverty, addiction, and politics. Having battled his own personal demons in his youth, McGarvey opened up about addiction on the second episode of Listen Up, a new podcast on recovery launched by Abbeycare. It is an alcohol and drug treatment centre in Erskine, Renfrewshire, where he was previously treated. McGarvey said he turned to drugs and alcohol for a number of reasons, including to cope with the death of his mother, as well as dealing with the ups and downs of fame. He said his addictions initially stemmed from his desire to cope with his anxiety, prompting him to use alcohol as well as drugs such as Valium and temazepam. During his appearance on the show, McGarvey said his addiction to drink began at the age of 16, shortly after the death of his mother, who was also an alcoholic. He said: 'I got handed a beer after the funeral. It wasn't just the alcohol, it was the whole situation. I was the centre of attention that day. 'I was dressed in a suit, long coat, black tie, being handed a cold beer… all that came together and activated something where I was like, 'Ah, this is what I should be doing'. 'I remember actually going back to school that day… it was like the alcohol provided a suit of armour that I immediately wanted to try out.' In 2013, McGarvey quit drinking and attended college, where he gained a qualification in journalism. In 2017, he released his first book, Poverty Safari, which won the Orwell Prize in 2018. However, around the same time, he says his drug use began to spiral out of control, citing an occasion where a scheduled broadcast interview in London was cancelled. He said: 'When that interview got pulled, it felt as if the whole thing had crumbled. It was as if I had failed, and I couldn't cope with it. 'I ran round a Boots pharmacy and bought over-the-counter painkillers with enough codeine in them to take away the feelings that I had.' A year later, after he had been using similar drugs frequently, he checked into Abbeycare's rehabilitation clinic in Erskine, where his recovery journey began. He said: 'It was the first time I had been around ordinary folk for about two years, where I wasn't the keynote speaker, I wasn't special. 'There's no ceremony in there. It was humbling in a way that I needed.' Hosted by Abbeycare's outreach manager Eddie Clarke, the show features a new guest each month who is invited to talk about their first-hand experience of addiction and recovery. It aims to reduce the stigma around drug and alcohol addiction through honest conversations, as well as demonstrating that recovery is possible. Mr Clarke said: 'I first met Darren when he had just checked into rehab with us, so it was brilliant to see how well he is doing now and to have such an honest conversation with him. 'His experiences show that even when people are enjoying great success in their careers, they can still be struggling with unaddressed addictions in the background. 'Given the levels of alcohol and drug-related harm in Scotland, it's more important than ever that we talk honestly about addiction, and that is what our podcast set out to do. 'We hope that people who might be struggling alone will listen and take heart from our guests' stories and insights over the coming months.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Herald Scotland
24-04-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Darren McGarvey says alcohol was once his ‘whole personality'
The author, broadcaster and musician is known for his work on issues such as poverty, addiction, and politics. Having battled his own personal demons in his youth, McGarvey opened up about addiction on the second episode of Listen Up, a new podcast on recovery launched by Abbeycare. It is an alcohol and drug treatment centre in Erskine, Renfrewshire, where he was previously treated. McGarvey said he turned to drugs and alcohol for a number of reasons, including to cope with the death of his mother, as well as dealing with the ups and downs of fame. He said his addictions initially stemmed from his desire to cope with his anxiety, prompting him to use alcohol as well as drugs such as Valium and temazepam. During his appearance on the show, McGarvey said his addiction to drink began at the age of 16, shortly after the death of his mother, who was also an alcoholic. He said: 'I got handed a beer after the funeral. It wasn't just the alcohol, it was the whole situation. I was the centre of attention that day. 'I was dressed in a suit, long coat, black tie, being handed a cold beer… all that came together and activated something where I was like, 'Ah, this is what I should be doing'. 'I remember actually going back to school that day… it was like the alcohol provided a suit of armour that I immediately wanted to try out.' In 2013, McGarvey quit drinking and attended college, where he gained a qualification in journalism. In 2017, he released his first book, Poverty Safari, which won the Orwell Prize in 2018. However, around the same time, he says his drug use began to spiral out of control, citing an occasion where a scheduled broadcast interview in London was cancelled. He said: 'When that interview got pulled, it felt as if the whole thing had crumbled. It was as if I had failed, and I couldn't cope with it. Darren McGarvey, also known as Loki, pictured on the new episode of Listen Up (Abbeycare/PA) 'I ran round a Boots pharmacy and bought over-the-counter painkillers with enough codeine in them to take away the feelings that I had.' A year later, after he had been using similar drugs frequently, he checked into Abbeycare's rehabilitation clinic in Erskine, where his recovery journey began. He said: 'It was the first time I had been around ordinary folk for about two years, where I wasn't the keynote speaker, I wasn't special. 'There's no ceremony in there. It was humbling in a way that I needed.' Hosted by Abbeycare's outreach manager Eddie Clarke, the show features a new guest each month who is invited to talk about their first-hand experience of addiction and recovery. It aims to reduce the stigma around drug and alcohol addiction through honest conversations, as well as demonstrating that recovery is possible. Mr Clarke said: 'I first met Darren when he had just checked into rehab with us, so it was brilliant to see how well he is doing now and to have such an honest conversation with him. 'His experiences show that even when people are enjoying great success in their careers, they can still be struggling with unaddressed addictions in the background. 'Given the levels of alcohol and drug-related harm in Scotland, it's more important than ever that we talk honestly about addiction, and that is what our podcast set out to do. 'We hope that people who might be struggling alone will listen and take heart from our guests' stories and insights over the coming months.'
