Reformed addicts: Meet the founder of Red Rose Recovery in Lancashire

Red Rose Recovery founder has gone from taking drugs to being congratulated by the Queen for his work in supporting others through their addiction.
Peter YarwoodPeter Yarwood
Peter Yarwood

Red Rose Recovery was set up seven years ago by Peter Yarwood after he had spent years in prison for crimes committed to fund his drug habit.The 44-year-old says he went from being a grade A student at school to being expelled and turning to drugs. By the age of 15 he had been sent to prison.

But thanks to the mentoring support of a prison officer, he turned his life around - so much so he was even invited to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen.He says: “I had a really good upbringing but my parents split up when I was a teenager. It was a really traumatic experience and I lost my main role model. That rejection from my dad was something I could not deal with. I went from being a grade A student to being expelled from school. I got enticed into gangland Manchester, where I grew up.“I started drinking and taking drugs. I ended up in prison at 15 to fund my addiction.“I was stigmatised in there for being a drug user and was attacked – I still have a scar under my eye. I swore I would never go back but I ended up in a vicious cycle, going round and round.

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“But finally in 2005, I finished my final prison sentence. I was taken under the wing of a prison officer, John Ashton, who used unconditional positive regard.“Up until then, no-one had shown me any compassion.“He became my mentor. He called me by my first name and he talked to me. He believed in me and gave me opportunities to grow inside prison.“He started to have conversations about what my assets were. No-one had ever used that language about me before. I was always told what was wrong with me and I would never amount to anything. But this prison officer talked to me differently and we built up rapport and trust.“I started to apply the things I had learnt in prison.

Peter YarwoodPeter Yarwood
Peter Yarwood

“I joined Lancashire User Forum, which had been started by Lancashire Drug and Alcohol Commissioning Team, in 2007.

“The team’s aim was rather than feeding us all the time, they taught us how to fish so we could sustain the group ourselves. My job was to create a platform for people to come together and focus on what we can do. Society was judging me and people like me and we only thought we were good enough to be left on the margins. In order to reintegrate into society I knew I had to change and help people like me.

“I understand the mindset of someone who has been entrenched in that lifestyle. They believe it is not possible to change. But I am here to show them visual evidence it is possible and it is contagious.

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“We built up LUF with smaller meetings of around 70 to 80 people at various locations within Lancashire and we have a bigger county meeting of up to 200 people.“Once we had built the group up, we realised we needed to put on training, volunteering and peer mentoring. We built up a charity, Red Rose Recovery, with former Lancashire Constabulary Division Commander Neil Smith as the chairman.”

Peter Yarwood with his mum KathleenPeter Yarwood with his mum Kathleen
Peter Yarwood with his mum Kathleen
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Red Rose Recovery is known as a recovery infrastructure organisation, providing a network of support for addicts, working closely with LUF.It helps people find activities and training opportunities which can help with relationships, housing, education, and employment.

Last year, it was honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services, where Peter met Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace.He adds: “I can’t believe I have gone from being in prison to going to Buckingham Palace. I never thought that would happen. I met the Queen. She said I was doing great work. It was fabulous.“I feel like it has all been a bit of a dream. But I could not have done this on my own. The people behind the scenes need recognition.”

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Peter has now been able to form a good relationship with his mother, Kathleen, who runs Families Matter support group for relatives of addicts, with his partner Emma Daggers, who has her own story to tell.