Sharing stories of hope after addiction

As a charity, it’s critical that we stay front and centre of the minds of those who support us, as well as those who may benefit from our service, and sharing our clients’ stories is one of the most powerful ways we can show impact.

From planning and capturing content through to editing and sharing the final story, there’s a real process behind every video or post at The Carpenter’s Arms. At the heart of it is always the same intention, to share something honest and meaningful that reflects who we are as a charity and offer a real insight into the journey of a person’s life at different stages of change and recovery.

Why sharing clients’ stories matters

Sharing these stories sit at the very centre of what we do. For many of the men who come through our doors, addiction has often meant years of feeling unheard, misunderstood or completely disconnected from others. Being given the opportunity to speak openly about their experiences and share that not only within, but beyond the service can be a powerful part of rebuilding confidence and perspective, as well as recognising how far they have come.

For many, this process can also be therapeutic in itself. Sharing their story can help reduce feelings of shame and stigma, support the processing of difficult experiences and trauma, and can also play an active role in reinforcing their recovery and commitment to sobriety.

These stories carry meaning far beyond the individual. For those watching, whether they are facing their own challenges or supporting someone who is, hearing lived experiences can help deepen understanding of addiction, create a sense of connection, and show our clients as people with real lives beyond their struggles.

Following a spotlight article shared on Facebook about Rob, one of our support workers who previously went through the programme himself, one user commented:

“Well done Rob, be proud of your achievements. Your family will be proud and blessed to have you back. I speak as someone who now has his son back after going through exactly what you did. Gary and The Carpenter’s Arms team are nothing short of miraculous.”

Similarly, on our Father’s Day post, where staff and clients reflected on rebuilding relationships with their children, another user shared:

“Bless you, today I feel like a father again.”

Capturing Life at Carpenter’s

Different stories require different approaches as recovery isn’t one-dimensional. Some moments are reflective and emotional, while others focus on the everyday life within the service, the humour, teamwork and sense of brotherhood.

Our content ranges from conversations and shared experiences, to working together on practical projects such as building beehives, through to more structured pieces such as Carpenter’s on the Couch. This is an example of how we continue to develop new ideas when it comes to sharing our work, where our Media Coordinator Hannah Wheatley films CEO Richard Spence in conversation with a small group of clients, staff and invited guests. These discussions explore a range of topics, including recovery, personal reflection, and setting and sticking to intentions. At times, these conversations can reflect how experiences such as key moments in the year, including Christmas, can look and feel very different depending on whether someone has been affected by addiction or not.

Check out our Carpenter’s on the Couch videos here.

Sometimes content requires a quieter and more reflective tone, such as our Valentine’s Day video where clients reflected on some of the more difficult aspects of addiction and recovery within relationships. It was approached carefully using darker visuals and more solemn music to reflect the more painful parts of their stories. This then transitions into brighter footage with a more hopeful tone of music, helping to highlight the contrast between those difficult experiences and the hope and change that recovery can bring.

You can view our Valentine’s Day video here.

Other times, our content can be quite humorous and light-hearted. In our Easter reel, we followed a playful storyline around our resident chickens, and the journey from egg to plate, with one of our resident chefs cooking the perfect yolk. Whilst this content doesn’t serve as an educational video, it offers a different but equally important perspective of the humour and everyday moments within our service.

Watch the full Easter reel here.

The wider impact

Alongside our social media content, we also share a range of wider updates through articles on our website, including client testimonies, staff spotlights, events, information on current fundraising projects such as Malone Meadows and our new Six Hills Honey Initiative, as well as our quarterly newsletters. These pieces work alongside our everyday content, giving supporters, local communities and potential donors a fuller understanding of the breadth of work happening across the charity.

Together, they allow people not only to see day-to-day life within the service, but also to learn more about the projects and developments that help sustain and grow what we do. In many cases, this combination of honest storytelling and clear project updates can be the difference in someone choosing to support us.

A significant amount of the support we receive comes directly from people engaging with these stories and updates. The impact of this wider communication goes beyond simply sharing life within the service, it builds the foundations that allow donors, sponsors and the wider community to get involved in a meaningful way.

This can also be seen through community engagement in initiatives such as the Christmas Tree Annual Tree Festival at Trinity Church in Barrow-upon-Soar, where churchgoers were invited to leave messages of support on a Christmas tree dedicated to our clients. These messages were then shared back through our social media, with clients reading the words of encouragement, showing the real, human impact of that wider connection.

This support then directly feeds back into the charity, helping us to expand what we offer and continue improving the support available to residents. In many ways, the content we share becomes a bridge between the work happening internally and the people who help make it possible externally.

Beyond everyday content

Alongside our everyday storytelling, we also create more developed pieces of content for key events such as our annual celebrations and expos, where residents graduate from the programme. These moments are an important opportunity to reflect on progress, share impact, and bring together residents, staff, supporters and potential donors in one space.

For these events, we often produce longer-form videos that help bring together the wider themes of life within the service. One example is our 2025 celebration video, Life at Carpenter’s. The piece combined interviews with both staff and clients, capturing how staff feel about the support they provide, as well as residents speaking openly about their recovery, their progress, and their hopes for the future. It also highlighted key aspects of daily life within the service, including structure, teamwork, sustainability, and the strength of the community.

This video was then shared at our annual celebration event and shown to residents, staff, supporters and potential donors, with the aim of both celebrating progress and helping to further communicate the impact of the work being done, supporting engagement and fundraising by giving a fuller picture of life within the charity.

Reflecting on the process, Media Coordinator Hannah Wheatley said:

“This is the piece of content that really stands out to me and that I’m most proud of. I really enjoyed bringing together different voices and experiences to showcase what life is like here. From planning the interviews to choosing the music and editing everything together, it was a really rewarding process that not only deepened my understanding of addiction but also allowed me to speak with so many different people. Seeing everyone engage with it on the day felt like a real moment of achievement.”

Take a look at the full video here.

At its core, the work we share is about people and the moments that shape their experiences. From everyday life to reflective conversations and larger showcase pieces, it all helps build a fuller picture of recovery and the environment it takes place in, highlighting both the challenges and the connection, progress and hope that runs throughout the service. In doing so, it continues to create understanding and open up meaningful engagement with the work happening at The Carpenter’s Arms.