Welcome to our next Weekly Bulletin. If you would like us to include something on our weekly news, please get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Angie has retired!
Our Director of Operations Angie King has retired and leaves UK SMART Recovery, her last official date being 31st May. Angie has worked for SMART for 8 years leading the organisation through significant change. Since the national reorganisation of the workforce took place she has successfully helped us navigate a pandemic and has grown the team to ensure we have much better coverage via a team of Community Co-ordinators. Angie has also been pivotal in the success we’ve enjoyed from grant applications. Our CEO Charlie has felt well supported especially in the early days of arriving at SMART and wishes to congratulate Angie on her successful career and for a happy retirement. Thank you Angie for all you have done for SMART and the recovery community, we will miss you greatly!
Emma has got married!
However, we are happy to announce that our Community Co-ordinator Emma Sharp (now Emma Sharp-Lau) has got married. All at SMART Recovery wish you a lifetime of love and happiness.
The SMART Recovery Colouring Book
We are excited to share with you The SMART COLOURING BOOK series contest!
SMART will launch a series of colouring books starting September 2023 to coincide with International Recovery Month. Each book will be thematic and employ a specific recovery tool. The intent of this project is to maximise individual recovery with a therapeutic or meditative practice that engages with the creative side of our participants. We believe this expansive tool drawn from art therapy will be a beneficial, simple, and pleasurable activity at any stage of recovery.
Are you a SMART participant? Do you have a creative streak? Do you draw or doodle in your free time? Or even illustrate for a living? Or maybe you’ve never drawn something your entire life? It doesn’t matter, we are open to ALL submissions and even if you wish to remain anonymous. Submissions will be open from Monday the 19th of June – Monday the 10th of July (11:59pm BST)
It is our hope to publish one book per year that coincides with future Recovery Months. The books will be available for purchase and download from the SMART recovery site. All proceeds will go toward the continuation of the organisation.
For our first book, we kindly ask those participating in group meetings, facilitators, and anyone associated with SMART to enter their drawings, sketches, and photographs of simple subject matter that relate to their recovery for the first of the colouring book series. Please keep in mind, the drawings must be able to be coloured, so simple images with large spaces for colouring would be ideal. Outside of that you are free to be as creative as possible.
The entries are open to everyone. Please send the images to the following email address [email protected]
For more details do not hesitate to contact Kim McCreanor or Kenneth Chau via the emails below:
Submission Dates: Monday the 19th of June – Monday the 10th of July (11:59pm BST)
SMART Recovery Movie Meet Ups
We am absolutely delighted to announce that UK SMART Recovery are very proud to present our very first live streaming party with Recovery Movie Meet-Ups! 
Both screenings will be hosted by someone you may recognise….…none other than Mr Ted Perkins- former Hollywood studio executive and producer, a successful screenwriter, and SMART Recovery Facilitator (nicknamed, “The Tips and Tools Guy” from videos he hosts on the SMART Recovery YouTube channel.) 
We will be premiering ‘SWIM TUFF’, an amazing new feature film documentary about Ben Tuff, a man who found successful recovery from his alcohol addiction by embarking on long distance swimming challenges.
This premiere is COMPLETELY FREE to everyone in the UK recovery community and will take place on July 1 at 7pm GMT (London) and then be rebroadcast on July 2 at 7pm GMT (London) via YouTube Live Stream. The filmmakers will also be in attendance and there will be a Q & A session at the end of the screening!
Livestream Link July 1: https://youtube.com/live/MLTSWPhJDgs
Livestream Link July 2: https://youtube.com/live/BBsGEmC2MCU
Links work on any mobile device, desktop or laptop!
Want to watch as a group on a regular TV? Great! Just open the YouTube app on your streaming device or Smart TV, and search for UK Online Premiere SWIM TUFF. The Live Stream will begin on the date and times noted above!
More info at: www.recoverymoviemeetups.com/uk
More info about RECOVERY MOVIE MEET-UPs: www.recoverymoviemeetups.com
SMART Recovery International’s first Global Survey is now live!
As per last week, the survey is still live. Sadly we have not had many people complete it yet. If you use SMART Recovery please complete this essential survey as it will only come round once per year. We need as many UK participants to complete it as possible as want to be able to publish the results! This is a crucial first ever research driven participant survey. SMART Recovery is working with a team of researchers who are keen to understand more about who attends groups, how people feel about attending, the goals they set themselves and the ways that SMART Recovery may or may not be helpful.
The study involves a one-off survey that should only take around 30 minutes to complete.
If you might be interested in sharing your experience, this flyer gives a bit more info and a link to the survey. Have a look, see what you think and feel free to contact the researchers with any questions you might have.
Link to Survey: https://uow.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_72jqpZLOvMPCEVo
As part of our fundraising campaign Unite for Recovery this year, we’ve raised funds to help support our service for the UK, which also includes the work we do on Northern Ireland. A recent article showcased one of our fundraisers, Ben Delija in the local Ballymena Guardian Newspaper and the article can be found below.
New Meetings
Three New Weekly SMART Recovery Meeting, Leeds
New Weekly SMART Recovery Meeting, Bolton