How it all started…
I would like to introduce myself – I’m Annalice Argyle from TRAC UK.
After suffering from substance misuse for over a decade, becoming homeless and being a suffering domestic violence and abuse I hit rock bottom. I turned to alcohol to escape and was introduced to Class A drugs which ‘destroyed my life.’ But, a strong will and determination helped me find the motivation which brought my son back into my life. I decided not to let my addictions take control and define me, so I turned my life around. I chose the abstinent route and have been sober and drug free since 2009 but looking back I feel like there was a lack of guidance and support when I was most vulnerable. So, I took the matter into my own hands and in 2015 The Recovery Advocates and Consultants UK (TRAC UK) was born. Now I use my experience and tell my story to help transform other people’s lives. TRACK UK is a grassroots independent recovery advocacy service that provides a voice for men and women with substance misuse issues and I created a Women Only Service after recognising that women recover differently.
What is TRAC UK?
The Recovery Advocates and Consultants UK – TRAC UK – provides an alternative to mainstream commissioned services and supports people who feel mainstream does not serve them or whom the service finds difficult to serve. Most of all we provide choice, promote equality and fairness, and educate and advocate. We believe in recovery, not punishment. The prison system doesn’t work. There are more vulnerable people in prison than criminals at taxpayers’ expense whilst the criminals at the top of the chain are harder to reach and the war on drugs is not working, nothing is changing.
I was inspired to start TRAC UK because as a woman in long term recovery from substance misuse, homelessness, domestic violence and abuse, I have a passion for helping others transform their lives, I want to share what I found which is a way out. When I was at my most vulnerable and struggled to cope to bring up my six-month-old son after his father left us, I didn’t have someone independent to help me navigate through a complex system. I felt injustice in the fact that my son and I were not given the best chance of working with services and staying together.
After turning my life around, I went to university and I became employable. I then was given the opportunity to work as a therapist in a male prison. This is when I set up the Women Only Recovery Group on Facebook, a hybrid recovery platform with over 4,500 local women members with the understanding that women recover differently from men. They require a space where they can feel safe, heard and loved, we are mindful that women experience many more barriers and suffer more stigma.
I have won many awards from local awards to regional; Inspiring Others Award at the Tees Business Awards and a She Inspires National as well as being nominated in four categories for the Northern Power Women Awards. TRAC UK is a women’s recovery movement, a platform of united strength and hope. Firstly, I understand what it’s like for women in addiction and recovery through my own story and I’m very vocal about it in the hope others transform their lives and find a way out of the guilt and shame. But I’m not special there are many other brave and courageous women out there, too. The awards help show visible recovery, how to be a ‘real model’ not just a role model. I was so shocked to find out we had been shortlisted for an Enterprise Vison Award! We are so honoured and this in turn allows me to raise my profile showing visible recovery and collective recovery through TRAC UK. This carries a message that we are so much more than our addiction. We aren’t bad women or mothers, and we all have a back story but recovery is accessible to us all no matter which recovery path you choose we can all overcome adversity with hard work, willingness, resilience and determination. Maybe we should start asking not why the addiction, but why the pain?
Join Us At The Wellness gathering 2024
We hold space for Women Only at our annual all inclusive Wellness Gathering held in June 28-30th.
There will be a gathering of women at The Sentry Circle in Northallerton. The idea is to create a space for one weekend only every year where we give ourselves permission to connect freely away from our daily lives and duties to spend time on ourselves. There will be many wellness workshops and the event will raise money for TRAC UK to continue to make recovery and wellness accessible to all women and girls.
When the Enterprise Vision Awards released the voting system it was overwhelming to receive so much support from the women already part of the Recovery and WOW movement. It made me feel supported and that I belonged to a greater power; the power of women supporting each other and raising each other up, you cannot underestimate it!
Our vision is that all women get access to affordable wellbeing and are given the choice and chance to recover from anything and anything. To be part of the WOW movement connecting with others around the globe so no one ever has to be alone again.
What’s next?
Our plan is to make TRAC UK sustainable through the event so we can continue providing support freely to those women who need it without having to rely on restricted hard to come by, funding. I want to keep raising my voice recovering out loud so others don’t suffer in silence through Ted Talks and Key Note Speaking whilst sending out our message, raising other women , supporting their wellbeing businesses and helping them thrive. We have set up Lobster Recovery for men with the intention to grow it and still with women in mind to support men into recovery and education in the hope of breaking negative cycles. TRAC is going from strength to strength. Why ? because our intentions are pure and because our service is needed.