David Best and Mags Dillon June 2026 There have now been three key milestones in the emergence of the Inclusive Recovery Cities movement: The initial events in Ghent and Gothenburg culminating in the original research paper in 2017 by David Best and Charlotte Colman[1] The launch event of Building Recovery In Middlesbrough (BRIM) at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough in May 2023 And now the first ever International Inclusive Recovery Cities event held in the beautiful Iri

HMP Holme House, England’s first designated Recovery Prison, has partnered with Recovery Connections to pilot an intensive, peer-led Twinning Project designed to support people in prison as they prepare for release, and strengthen their long-term recovery. Between January and March 2026, two peer workers from Recovery Connections – Peter DeSliva and Colin Hughes, both former prisoners at HMP Holme House – worked intensively with four serving prisoners. Collectively the partic

Developing the Science of Flourishing in Addiction Recovery – William Stauffer & Dr David Best This essay was coauthored with Dr. David Best, an internationally recognized researcher in addiction recovery whose work has been central to advancing the science of recovery capital, social networks, and community-based pathways to long-term change. As coauthor, he brings decades of empirical research and global perspective on how connection, belonging, and social identity underpin

By Shinasa Shahid April 2026 Recovery is often spoken about as a personal journey, a process of change, resilience, and rebuilding. While this is true, it is only part of the picture. Recovery does not happen in isolation. It is shaped by culture, identity, community, and the systems people encounter when they reach out for support. A recent study exploring the experiences of three women from different ethnic backgrounds in the UK offers an important reminder of this. It show

By Dr Kevin McInerney This blog explores recent research led by STAR associate researcher Dr Kevin McInerney, in partnership with Professor David Best and Professor Philip Hodgson, examining individuals aged 50 and over in recovery from problematic alcohol use. The study is one in a series of six peer-reviewed papers that have been published over the last two years and come from his PhD: Late-onset alcohol use disorder/problem drinking — Psychosocial characteristics and the r

Prof David Best March 2026 Background: I am fortunate enough to have been to New Zealand on a number of previous occasions (generally when I was living in Australia) and I have always loved spending time in the country, in part because it is a beautiful and temperate place to be and partly because there are so many innovators inspired and motivated towards strength-based and recovery approaches. It seems, in significant part, because of the important role that Maori culture

October 2025 Authors: Shelley Duffy, David Best, Kevin McInerney, Helen Thompson, Dot Smith, Viv Evans, Robert Stebbings, William White Overview In 2024, Adfam published their report “Above and beyond” highlighting the positive experiences of family support people in recovery recounted across various key stages and domains of their recovery journey. Families matter. Yet this comes at a cost – to the person in recovery in terms of feelings of shame, stigma and guilt, and for t

Nov 2025 By Professor David Best. One of the most exciting (yet frustrating) parts of my work is the ability to witness at first hand the astonishing diversity, reach and impact of recovery communities across the UK and more widely across the world. To witness genuine human connection and trust, creating lasting and meaningful change is an incredible privilege. However, so much of it happens so close at hand that I am not aware of frustrates me as an academic and as someone w

By David Best & Julie Atkinson The Inclusive Recovery Cities movement has its origins in a research paper in 2018 based on events in Gothenburg, Sweden and Ghent, Belgium (written by David Best and Charlotte Colman) but, for the UK at least, the current wave of commitment and engagement really dates from the UK launch in Middlesbrough in 2023. In the two years since, we have seen an explosion of interest from the US to Africa to New Zealand. Yet, the idea is remarkably simple

By David Best, Vicky Hartley, Shelley Duffy There are currently ten established Inclusive Recovery Cities in England, a number that has grown since the wonderful launch event for Middlesbrough’s IRC at the Riverside Stadium in May of 2023. Middlesbrough, through its ‘Building Recovery In Middlesbrough’ (BRIM) programme has led the way in innovating around recovery and Recovery Connections; the flagship LERO in the North-East of England, is now looking to replicate that succes

By Professor David Best As an academic transitioning to a new world of consultancy, I was not sure how much public speaking would be...