From addiction to activity: Transforming lives with movement

Developed with a focus on the fact that participating in sport and physical activity is not just about how fast or far you can run, the Wellness Warriors running group, is proving that the ripple effect that is created through a shared experience and being active can be truly life changing.

Based in High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, Phoenix Lifestyle Foundation have only been facilitating Wellness Warriors for a year, but the benefits that it has already made to individuals have been immense.

A CIMSPA Employer Partner, Phoenix Lifestyle Foundation use physical activity to improve mental health and support relapse prevention from addictions and other issues that impact people’s lives such as cancer diagnoses, domestic abuse, and loneliness.

Lewis Baker, personal trainer, CIMSPA member and founder of Phoenix Lifestyle Foundation, founded the charity after using physical activity as his own relapse prevention method:  

“Ultimately, we are the Southeast of Britain’s first sober running club.

“I had experience with addictions, and it was running that helped me put my head back together. So, we set the charity up with that premise.

“It’s a running club where the running is almost secondary; it’s more about coming together, enjoying being with each other, enjoying the fresh air and just enjoying moving.”

Lewis founded Wellness Warriors alongside Charmain Clayton, who sadly lost her sister to alcohol use. With both experiencing different perspectives and impacts of addiction, they came together to create a programme to support those experiencing life difficulties.

Charmain is the Senior Community Engagement Officer at Buckinghamshire New University, also a CIMSPA partner:

“I’d seen first-hand the pain and complexities around alcohol use and had used running myself to manage my own mental health and anxiety.

“21st century life is really noisy – there is so much going on. Cost of living is kicking people, work is kicking people, the weather is kicking people – and this running group is so important in keeping people together.”

Open to everyone, the group follows the NHS Couch to 5K format. As a predominantly mental health-focused running group, each group has had approximately 12 participants. Many participants are either in recovery, are experiencing mental health challenges, struggling with addictions, have a difficult relationship with food or are domestic abuse survivors, and all come together to support each other.

As a local initiative, most referrals for the programme came through word of mouth, including participants hearing about the course through Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA).

Thanks to funding from Sport England, participants were able to access a headtorch, armband, water bottle and t-shirt, as well as an entry into a 5K race at the end of their course.

The intervention has already seen great impact in High Wycombe – an increase in weight loss and decrease in high blood pressure has been recorded amongst the participants, which will only help ease pressure on local services. There will also be long-term benefits from improved mental wellbeing, and participants leading happier, healthier lives through being active and being part of a community.

Making a difference

One of the main life experiences that Wellness Warriors participants are dealing with is addiction. In England, over 600,000 people are dependent on alcohol, and in Buckinghamshire itself, alcohol is now the leading cause of death, years of life lost and disability in 15-49-year-olds.

As we know, alcohol can have an impact on our physical health. Public Health England states that consumption is a causal factor in more than 60 medical conditions, including different cancers, high blood pressure and liver disease. It can also deteriorate our mental health, leading to depression and anxiety.

Since last calculated in 2003, the cost of harm from alcohol in England has increased by 40%, with each alcoholic costing up to £45,660 through the NHS, the criminal justice system and the wider economy – with 150,000 years of working life lost due to alcohol in 2023.

After drinking for over 30 years, one participant began their abstinence journey with Wellness Warriors, and he has not looked back since.

Paul, who joined the programme in its first wave and has continued with each group, has lost over 2 and a half stone in weight, has been sober for over a year and has regained his positive mindset:

“I didn’t know what to expect at all – I started talking to a few people here, some people with addiction, some people with mental health issues, and some who just wanted to be a part of the group. It’s been amazing ever since; I’ve had some great advice from pretty much everybody in the group.

“The fitness and mental health benefits are incredible – I remember drinking, staying in bed and not really doing anything with myself. Now – I’ve run a half marathon! I never thought I’d be able to do something like that.  

I love being around people and I don’t have the urge to drink anymore - I’m a totally different person. It has been life changing.”

Hannah is also a Wellness Warriors participant who has experienced addiction and is a survivor of domestic abuse.  

After joining the running group, she feels that she finally has her life back :

“It really makes me feel like I’m not alone. I’ve had lots of setbacks in my life, and I feel free to be able to talk about it – and not be judged.  

“Speaking from my recovery point of view – I didn’t go into recovery to have a miserable life. I want to see the joy in everything. And if it wasn’t for Lewis, Charmain and the other runners, I’d still be at home not doing anything. They have given me hope and joy in fitness, which I never thought I’d get in a million years.”

Reflecting on a successful first year, Charmain boasts the camaraderie displayed through their participants:

“It takes a village to support our damaged people. The group is great at keeping people together.

“It doesn’t matter who you are, where you are or how much money you’ve got; everyone can do it. We understand that we’re looking forwards, not looking backwards.”

Alongside their current referral pathways, Phoenix Lifestyle Foundation and Wellness Warriors are now aiming to establish further links with local GP surgeries, social prescribers and the Courts service.

Participants are also sharing their experiences with their peers, which in turn is encouraging more to take part. As well as this, participants have been given the opportunity to become coaches. Those coaches with lived experience are essential as they are relatable for participants, something which is integral to getting new participants involved.

The charity has introduced mental health leads and first aiders have been established through encouraging participants to take part in Sport England online training, which in turn is giving people the opportunity to develop and continue learning which is not only supporting the Wellness Warriors but also providing them with valuable skills which they can take into other parts of their lives, such as their employment or career.

The work that is being done through local initiatives like Wellness Warriors is instrumental in tackling inequalities in sport and physical activity and getting more people who wouldn’t access ‘traditional’ sport and physical activity provision, active. The community organisation is passionate about helping as many people feel the benefits of active wellbeing, regardless of their background or where they live, and in turn will support local health services and the pressures that they face.

More on how the sector can support the health sector.

Visit Phoenix Lifestyle Foundation’s website.

Community engagement at Buckinghamshire New University.