Recovery Fest
Wirral Recovery Awards 2025
Wirral Recovery Awards As part of Wirral Recovery Fest, the Wirral Recovery Awards celebrate the people, professionals, and community partners who make recovery possible. These awards shine a light on stories of hope, resilience, and collaboration across Wirral — recognising those who’ve gone above and beyond to support recovery, challenge stigma, and build a stronger, more connected community. Each award represents a different part of our recovery journey — from individuals finding their feet to teams transforming how we work together.
This is the current programme of events – it is subject to minor change.
Morning (reflective) – 10:30am-1:00pm
| 10:30am – 10:45am | Opening & Welcome (TALK) | Main Stage |
| 10:30pm – 1:00pm | Art Exhibition & Pottery Workshop | Yellow Room |
| 10:30pm – 1:00pm | Chill Out Space | Green Room 1 |
| 10:30pm – 1:00pm | Reiki | Green Room 2 |
| 10:30pm – 1:00pm | Podcast / Stories of Hope | Green Room 3 |
| 10:45am – 11:15am | The Importance of Creative Arts to Recovery (TALK) | Main Stage |
| 11:00pm – 12:00pm | Acupuncture | Workshop |
| 11:15am – 11:30am | Dominoe Effect Film (FILM) | Main Stage |
| 11:30am – 12:00pm | Stories of Recovery & Recovery Wall (TALK) | Main Stage |
| 12:00pm – 12:15pm | Sticks and Stones Film (FILM) | Main Stage |
| 12:00pm – 1:00pm | Relaxation Session | Workshop |
| 12:15pm – 1:00pm | Awards / Wirral Ways Birthday Celebration (STAGE) | Main Stage |
Afternoon (interactive) – 1:30pm-4:00pm
| 1:30pm – 4:30pm | Chill Out Space | Green Room 1 |
| 1:30pm – 4:30pm | Reiki | Green Room 2 |
| 1:30pm – 4:30pm | Podcast / Stories of Hope | Green Room 3 |
| 1:30pm – 1:45pm | Opening & Welcome (TALK) | Main Stage |
| 1:30pm – 4:30pm | Art Exhibition & Pottery Workshop | Yellow Room |
| 1:30pm – 2:30pm | Chair Fit Session | Workshop |
| 1:45pm – 2:15pm | Spider Performance Space (PERFORMANCE) | Main Stage |
| 2:15pm – 2:45pm | Ketamine Film Premiere (FILM) | Main Stage |
| 2:45pm – 3:30pm | Nightingales Play (30-45 mins) (PERFORMANCE) | Main Stage |
| 2:30pm – 3:30pm | Improvisation Workshop | Workshop |
| 3:30pm – 4:30pm | Yoga (15:30-16:30) | Workshop |
| 3:30pm – 3:40pm | Spider Choir | Main Stage |
| 3:40pm – 3:55pm | Rek 41 Choir | Main Stage |
| 3:55pm – 4:10pm | Wirral Mind Choir | Main Stage |
| 4:10pm – 4:25pm | Wirral Ways Choir | Main Stage |
| 4:25pm – 4:30pm | All Choirs | Main Stage |
Evening (celebratory) – 5:00pm-7:30pm
| 5:00pm – 7:30pm | Art Exhibition | Yellow Room |
| 5:00pm – 6:00pm | Acupuncture | Workshop |
| 5:00pm – 7:30pm | Chill Out Space | Green Room 1 |
| 5:00pm – 7:30pm | Reiki | Green Room 2 |
| 5:00pm – 7:30pm | Podcast / Stories of Hope | Green Room 3 |
| 5:00pm – 5:30pm | Opening & Signing of Anti-Stigma Charter (TALK) | Main Stage |
| 5:30pm – 6:15pm | Nightingales Play (30-45 mins) (PERFORMANCE) | Main Stage |
| 6:15pm – 7:30pm | Live Music & DJs (PERFORMANCE) | Main Stage |
| 7:30pm – 9:00pm | After Party @ Rek41, Market Street | Rek 41 |
The after party! – 7:30pm-9:00pm
@Rek41 – more details to follow!
Join us for Recovery Fest 2025 – a brand new festival led by partners across Wirral’s recovery system. This full-day event will shine a light on the power of recovery, challenge stigma, and showcase the creativity and resilience of our recovery community.
Whether you’re in recovery, a family member, a professional, or simply curious to learn more, you’re warmly invited to take part.
What to Expect
Recovery Fest is a multimedia celebration featuring:🎶 Live performances – music, spoken word, theatre🎨 Art and photography exhibitions🎬 Short film screenings🤝 Mutual aid meetings (AA, NA, CA, SMART Recovery)🧘 Holistic wellbeing activities (yoga, mindfulness, acupuncture)✍️ Creative workshops and storytelling sessions
Why Recovery Fest?
By celebrating recovery in such a visible and inclusive way, the festival aims to:
- Challenge stigma around addiction and recovery
- Highlight the talent and contributions of people in recovery
- Increase public understanding of the recovery journey and available support
- Strengthen connections between services, communities, and decision-makers
When & Where
📅 Thursday 23 October 2025📍 Future Yard, Birkenhead – with additional activities at Nightingales Recovery CIC🕘 10:30am – 8:00pm (set-up from 9:00am)
Programme Snapshot
🌅 Morning (reflective): mutual aid meetings, art exhibition viewing, gentle wellbeing sessions
🌞 Afternoon (interactive): creative workshops, panel discussions, live performances
🌙 Evening (celebratory): headline music and spoken word acts, storytelling, closing celebration
A Partnership Effort
Recovery Fest is co-created with lived experience voices at its heart. Partners include: Wirral Ways, Spider Project, Nightingales Recovery CIC, YMCA, Wirral Mind, CWP, Tomorrow’s Women, Merseyside Police, and more.
Be Part of It
We’d be delighted for you to join us – to connect, celebrate, and see recovery in action.A full programme will be shared ahead of the event.
👉 Save your spot today and be part of Wirral’s first Recovery Fest.
