Using art and culture to bring colour into dark and desperate situations is the aim of a creative group in Whitehaven.

For people on the road to recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, their journey can be a turbulent one.

And for those struggling with the stresses and strains of life, the path can be paved with difficulties.

But, there is an organisation that can help: The Vulture Club is there to support people through tough times.

It is run by three volunteer facilitators: David Judd, William Miller and Maggie Messenger. They believe there is a need to support people who are trying to recover from substance addiction.

The club, at The Pottery in Whitehaven Market Place, offers a host of activities including a Root To Recovery programme, personal development group, arts and crafts, bibliotherapy, and cultural trips.

William says that as people go through recovery, diversion activities are useful as it focuses their minds on other things rather than their addiction. And their creativity often floods back.

The team says: “The use of art and cultural pursuits as diversionary activities prompted the name of Culture Vultures that quickly became Vulture Club.”

William says: “People are going to fight with cravings. If you don’t have other things to occupy your mind you will ruminate. We offer alternatives. We are open three days a week, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, to give them something to come to and they can build their confidence.”

The club offers therapeutic and diversionary activities to equip members with the tools needed in recovery.

“Our members can learn these at their own pace and although these programmes have been designed with addictive behaviour in mind, these are also useful tools for people with mental health and emotional trauma issues as well,” the facilitators say.

A range of activities are held. The Root to Recovery programme is funded by the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

And the Vulture Club trustees thank Copeland Council for its support and a £5,000 grant towards the club’s heritage arts project.

Arts and crafts sessions are run at The Pottery and the Unity Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service premises in Whitehaven.

A bibliotherapy group is also held at The Pottery. This gives people the chance to enjoy literature and explore it in further detail.

The team says: “This way of working has had some amazing results, such as an increase in personal self-esteem as members experience themselves finding their voice within the group, along with gaining confidence in expressing themselves and their ideas.” Members have also got their creative side flowing with many producing poems and short stories.

The trio of facilitators say the clubs help people in numerous ways.

“We are not just promoting and enhancing the personal self-development of the individual. But we are also laying the foundations down for a safer prospect of maintained recovery and engagement within the community, and therefore a more sustainable and stable social inclusion for our members throughout this difficult period.”

For more information, email vultureclub2012@gmail.com or check out Vulture Club on Facebook.

A WHITEHAVEN man has spoken about his battle with alcohol addiction and the support he has received from the Vulture Club.

Phil McHugh is a former painter and sculptor for Lilliput Lane miniature models. He sought help from the club following drinking problems.

He has rediscovered his love of sculpting and has produced a plaque which is now on show at the Copeland Council offices at Whitehaven Market Hall.

He says: “Before I joined Vulture Club I was in a particularly dark, desperate and vulnerable place. I had been drinking since the age of 14 but excessively over the last three years.

“My wife took control and heard about Vulture Club operating from the Market Hall in Whitehaven. She took the first steps to contact this organisation about the work they do with people in recovery from addiction and other issues.

“I attended an initial assessment and it was then that I realised that I was dealing with an addiction and alcohol was the drug.

“I attended the Vulture Club Root To Recovery programme and I then took the important decision to stop drinking.

“Throughout the following weeks I attended a safe and confidential environment with other members of Vulture Club who were in similar situations and could easily reflect back to me their own struggles, and I realised I was not alone.

“During the early stages of my recovery I learnt a lot about myself and what direction my life would have taken if I didn’t stop drinking.

“I began to understand the slow process of my recovery and this re-ignited my passion for creative arts and I started drawing and sculpting again.

“I was looking for inspiration when I consulted an old book on Whitehaven’s heritage and oddly, perhaps by way of fate, a photograph of myself and my best friend fell out from inside the book – this was a picture of both of us enjoying a pint!

“I was looking at the page that this photo fell out from and lo and behold it had a picture of the Market Hall circa 1901 staring right at me – whilst I was sitting in that very same building.

“My friend has since passed away and I decided there and then to start on a sculpture in tribute to both the Vulture Club, who are encouraging and supporting both me and my family throughout this difficult period but also the building that started me on my journey.

“Oddly, very soon after I made this decision, Vulture Club were informed they had to move from this great community building into another address [The Pottery].

“This spurred me on to make this tribute available to all the people of Whitehaven who have used this building in the past and to the future community of Copeland who will be using the new Market Hall in its bright new future.

“I presented the finished sculpted plaque to Mayor Starkie in tribute to Vulture Club and their members for their ongoing help and support in the community and to also celebrate the Market Hall’s renaissance.

The Vulture Club's vision:

“Our vision is to provide a safe nurturing community where all are respected and valued equally; to accept and support each other’s individual healing, development and personal growth.

“Our membership ethos is to have a strong but diverse egalitarian foundation of tolerance, acceptance, equality, cooperation, respect of self and others in order to achieve positive challenge, growth and self-worth.

“Our hope is that these activities will cover aspects of health and well-being, but will also be educational or vocational leading to growth in personal empowerment, self-esteem and confidence, allowing our members to make more positive life choices.”