More than 500 people came together on Thursday 23 October 2025 for Wirral’s first ever Recovery Festival; a powerful day of art, music, storytelling, and celebration that shone a light on recovery across the borough.
Hosted at Future Yard and Nightingales Recovery CIC in Birkenhead, the event was co-led by Wirral Ways in partnership with Wirral Council’s Public Health team and the wider Wirral Recovery Community. It brought together people in recovery, families, professionals, and the general public to celebrate creativity, challenge stigma, and showcase the incredible talent and resilience that exists within the recovery community.
The free festival featured live music, film screenings, art exhibitions, wellbeing sessions, creative workshops, and moving performances from across Wirral’s recovery community. Highlights included a stunning set from Spider’s Choir, an original play written and performed by Nightingales Recovery CIC, and artwork from Spider Project, YMCA, and the We’ve Got HeART project. The festival also saw the newly formed Wirral Ways’ Choir, United in Harmony, led by our Dual Diagnosis Nurse, Sally Rzeszowski.
Sally shared, “It was fantastic to be a part of the day, seeing so many people coming together”.
Wirral Ways’ Choir, United in Harmony
Visitors also enjoyed acupuncture and holistic sessions, alongside short films created by Change Grow Live, Response, Spider Project, and Wirral Ways – all exploring what recovery means to different people.
The day included the inaugural Wirral Recovery Awards, an emotional ceremony recognising individuals, volunteers, and professionals who’ve made an incredible difference to the lives of others. The awards ended with a surprise Lifetime Achievement Award for Steve Kelly, marking over 35 years of service to Wirral’s recovery community. Steve is one of our fantastic Project Managers.
Steve Kelly, Wirral Ways’ Project Manager, accepting his Lifetime Achievement Award.
After an inspiring day, the celebrations continued at Rek41, Wirral’s sober meeting place and community hub in Birkenhead, for an alcohol-free after-party filled with music, laughter, and togetherness. Rek41 has become a cornerstone of Wirral’s recovery network, offering a safe and welcoming space for people to socialise, reconnect, and celebrate life without substances.
Jacob Jones, Volunteer, Service User Involvement & Comms Lead, at Wirral Ways who was part of the team behind the event expressed his pride after the event, “This started off as an idea from our Anti-Stigma Forum, exploring how we could share the creativity within our Recovery Community. Months of hard work from partners and contributors brought us to Recovery Fest: A day filled with hope, creativity and connection. I’m so proud of our Recovery Community and to have played a part in the creation of this event”.
Recovery Fest was supported through Wirral Council’s Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Grant (DATRIG) and forms part of the Wirral Drugs Strategy 2023–2027. It was co-created with lived experience voices and made possible through collaboration between Wirral Ways, Spider Project, Nightingales Recovery CIC, YMCA Wirral, Wirral Mind, ABL Wirral, Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Merseyside Police, Response, Wirral Change, and Wirral Multicultural Organisation.
Following the success of this year’s festival, the team is exploring ways to tour Recovery Fest artwork across Wirral and plans are already underway for future events.
Photography by Jacob Jones
Last Updated on 6 November 2025
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