I`m riding my motorcycle from the UK to Central Asia and back, covering approx. 14,000 miles, through 17 countries. Leaving England in April 2023, I aim to help raise awareness and funds for Forward Trust (formally Action On Addiction). I have chosen Farward Trust as I have seen firsthand the great work they do helping those with addiction issues. There are no publicly funded detox programs in the UK, everything is via charities such as Forward Trust. Addiction doesn't simply ruin the lives of those that suffer from this condition, it places enormous strain of those that care for loved ones and it tears families apart.

I aim to raise money, but equaily wish to help remove the stigma that surrounds aadition. No one espires to be an addict, it just slowly creeps in to life, just like cancer. And once there, it takes incrediable strength to remove it. But people are always in recovery from their addiction, it lurks in the receses of the mind, redy to come back given the chance.

The stigma of addiction is often the greatest barrier to people looking for help, its such a hard thing to admit, its seen as failure. I hope as a society that we can learn to see beyond this and ask why is this person being so destructive to themselves? Forward Trust do great work in this area, supporting those that suffer and their direct support network of family and friends.

I understand that at the moment money is tight for all, therefore more that ever, anything that you can give is greatly appreciated.

Thank you, Stuart.

Their words -

"We are The Forward Trust, the social business with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community."