'I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity to share my story': Oswestry filmmaker's sobriety story inspires care home
The creator of a Shropshire-made TV pilot who has been public about his battle with addiction has given a talk to care home residents about his recovery journey.
Gareth Thomas of Oswestry-based Rocking Horse Media paid a special visit to Hengoed Park, Gobowen, to address residents on the deeply personal subject.
Gareth said the visit had a ‘full circle’ feel to it due to the fact that not only is his TV project, Henry House, set in a care home, but also because he actually used to work at Hengoed.
The talk was remarkably well received, with an outpouring of support for Gareth’s open and raw approach to battling addiction. Praise has come from care home staff who were impressed by how many residents connected with Gareth’s story.
“Loads of residents sat there who I didn’t think would acknowledge or sit through a talk like that due to denial of their problem, so to see them clearly take things in was amazing,” said Annie Aston from Hengoed Park, who had initially approached Gareth with the idea.
One of the biggest themes of Gareth’s talk was how people respond to setbacks, both personally and professionally. “I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity to share my story,” he said. “In the past, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes and let a lot of people down. But it’s not about the setback, it’s how you react to it.
“I’m so thankful to all who gave me a second chance. If I can do this, anyone can.”
Since overcoming addiction, Gareth considers himself lucky to now be working with a number of famous actors on the Henry House project, including Coronation Street legend Paula Lane. “I actually watched Paula’s character in Corrie be killed off while I was still working at Hengoed and first planning Henry House 10 years ago,” he said. “Full circle, indeed!”
