Rek41 is at its core a social club, with a difference.
The idea behind Rek41 was developed by and with the support of recovering substance abusers and mental health service users. Providers of local services also provided support in the development of the idea.
Birkenhead offers a fantastic range of services for both mental health and substance abuse recovery, however those services close at 5pm.
Throughout psychology it is widely accepted that environment plays a huge role in both mental health and addiction. As it stands the area is beginning to create a day time culture of recovery through positive interactactions within the local community and therefore environment. However, these positive environments close for the evening and weekends.
Using both personal experience and the experiences of other service users accross the board, it is Rek41s understanding that this potentially increases the chance of relapse into addiction, lonlines, mental health issues and possibly suicide.
The social culture in Birkenhead is heavily influenced by alcohol. This in turn encourages the use of alcohol and the behaviour associated with it. This not only creates a tempting environment for recovering addicts but also an environment that many service uses would deem unsafe for many number of reasons.
Our aim is to provide a safe place for all services users to socialise. Through our own individual journeys and feedback from current service users, there was - and is - a sence that recovering adicts and those who suffer from poor mental health can feel outcast from the community as a whole, particully when it comes the social environment within the local area.
Rek41 views recovery as ongoing journey and sees no reason why individuals should not be able to enjoy such things as live bands, games, quizes and many other aspects of social life.