Shrewsbury wins recovery walk bid
Shrewsbury has won the bid to host a national event that attracts around 5,000 people.
The town will be the home of the 10th UK Recovery Walk in 2018.
The event is designed to celebrate people overcoming alcohol or drug addiction.
Shrewsbury was one of two places in the UK bidding to be the host town for the walk in 2018. It received 75 per cent of the public vote, coming out on top against the City of Bradford.
Lee Chapman, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for health, adult social care and housing, said they were thrilled at being selected.
He said: "This is fantastic news. I would like thank everyone for their support and help to bring this important national event to Shropshire. This is a great result for everyone involved.
"Hosting the UK Recovery Walk in Shrewsbury will provide an opportunity to highlight the achievements of the Shropshire recovery community, alongside the valuable, lifesaving work of our drug and alcohol treatment services.
"We are very keen to ensure this event is memorable for both Shrewsbury and the history of the walk."
The UK Recovery Walk, organised by national charity Faces and Voices of Recovery (FAVOR) UK, is an annual event that aims to celebrate recovery and freedom from drug and alcohol dependence.
Held each September, as part of International Recovery Month, the walk draws thousands of people from all over the country to come together and provide hope and inspiration to those who are struggling to overcome drug and alcohol misuse.
The chief executive of FavorUK, Annemarie Ward, said they were looking forward to taking the event to Shropshire.
She said: "Throughout September, thousands of people in the UK will be organising local events celebrating the fact that recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs is a lived reality in their lives.
"Faces and Voices of Recovery UK are delighted Shrewsbury has won the bid of hosting the largest of these events, The UK Recovery Walk. We look forward to working with the local people to organise this truly inspiring event."
Shrewsbury’s Recovery Walk 2018 route will start and finish at The Quarry. The total route is 1.7 miles and takes around 35 minutes to complete from start to finish.
