BELFAST woman Rebecca Marno is “on the up and up” after transforming her life which had been blighted by drug addiction and negative behaviours.
The 28-year-old first engaged with the Start 360 charity, which supports people with health, justice and employability challenges, when she was in “active addiction” and had her first probation order.
“When I had my last probation order I was thinking what can I do to keep myself busy, and be on a good track, so my probation officer wrote me a reference to volunteer with the Change Programme, so I was working toward where I wanted to be.”
Rebecca is a Start 360 volunteer, accessing professional training, and helping others through peer mentoring.
She is soon starting a position with the Belfast Trust’s mental health team after completing training and an Open University degree in Psychology.
Rebecca recently shared her story with north Belfast boxing champion Carl Frampton on his thought provoking documentary series On Probation.
And she was keen to speak to this newspaper to help others in the city who may be going through similar things to her.
“I am speaking out to get the story out there of someone not still living it. Showing people there is other options.”
Turning her life around after surviving abuse, and being addicted to drugs wasn’t easy but Rebecca now feels the best physically and mentally than she had done in many years.
“I was very bad on the drugs for about a decade there,” she said.
“I have a diagnosis of Complex PTSD from issues I faced in childhood right through to early adulthood, and I would say my substance use was definitely a product of that.”
She added: “Social identity theory is really something the Change Programme is based on. It’s like the people you are around is the influence on you. Groups can really influence each others’ opinions, and perspectives on everything.”
She added: “The people you are around, learning stuff together, bouncing ideas and your lived experience off each other kind of shows you what these concepts are, but how having been through it yourself can give you a better understanding of it.”
On life now Rebecca is feeling “really, really positive”.
“I am on the up and up. I am near the happily ever after part.
“I want people to know there is possibility for change. I had that really, really long stint of addiction and negative behaviours but I am three years sober now and got my degree and starting a job.
“It’s not easy but it’s entirely possible to change yourself and change your habits.”
Johnny Moore is a Start 360 volunteer service manager who received mentoring and has been instrumental in designing the services thousands of people access every year.
He says people feel “welcomed, accepted and understood”.
“The work we are doing here is phenomenal,” he said.
“My job involves breaking down stigmas people face externally and stigmas and judgements people face within themselves.”
Start 360 Business Development Director Frankie McCausland is passionate about “changing the narrative and stigma around substance use and the benefit of lived experience in helping people”.
Start 360 Business Development Director Frankie McCausland
“Experience leads to better outcomes,” she said.
“People with lived experience bring their own unique perspectives, and some of that just can’t be taught in school.
“Education is fantastic but there is also benefit of having real life experience. Clients look at those people with hope. To be able to see their end goal and say I want to be able to get to that stage that they are. It’s an example they can achieve that and can do it.”
The William Street based charity is funded by the Public Health Agency, Stormont’s Department of Justice, Hagan Houses, and others.
Frankie says more consistent multi-year funding would help with the work they are doing.
“We are looking at 95 per cent of people in evaluations who say they have better outcomes across mental health, and are more likely to engage.”
Start 360 also have offices in the three prison sites – Maghaberry, Magilligan and Hydebank – where they do recovering programmes, trauma talks, mentoring and advocacy.
For more information visit https://www.start360.org
