Davina’s Ark, originated from an inspiring young woman whose life was affected by addiction and its effects. Addiction led Davina down a harrowing lonely, and a lot of times a despairing road. Davina experienced depression and addiction robbed her of joy and a zest for living and purpose. Davina entered a twelve step programme which helped her become abstinent and see light at the end of the tunnel.
However Davina found that further along the journey in recovery she still experienced emotional turmoil and difficulty in relationships with herself and others. Davina recognized that there was an unfulfilled need in rehabilitation support, ‘the gap’. Davina further recognized that in this gap those in recovery remained vulnerable and without further support ran the risk of relapse, physical and mental illness, self-harm and suicide. Furthermore the impact of relapse on the sufferer compounded the effect on their families.
Through Davina’s own experience she resolved to source further support in one to one counselling and various support work-shops, which from her own experience she found added to and enhanced her quality of life and recovery and she continued to promote the same for others.
Davina’s experience during recovery represents the need for ongoing support in the addiction post treatment period. Davina displayed great courage, determination and understanding of the needs of others travelling the same journey as herself.
Bridging ‘The gap’ represents the transition from despair to hope and Davina’s belief has been inspirational in providing the counselling support services offered by Davina’s Ark. It was when delivering a support workshop for people recovering from addiction that tragically was taken ill and died.
Davina’s Ark is the legacy of the work that Davina was involved in prior to her untimely death in June 2011.
Inspired by the vision of Davina, a group of professional addiction counsellors resolved to set up a counselling service to aid and address the unmet needs of those in rehabilitation and their families. This gap as defined by Davina’s Ark is ‘that period during rehabilitation where people in addiction remain vulnerable, at risk of relapse and prone to self harm and even suicide’. Davina’s dream was to create an organisation which would provide professional services to bridge this gap. It would provide a supported pathway to recovery which would equip individuals with skills and renewed confidence and thus restore them to a full, active and purposeful role in society
Davina’s Ark offers hope and new opportunity to the many in our society who are afflicted and or affected by the curse of addiction. A shocking and sobering truth is that alcohol and drug misuse in our society is one of the biggest public health issues we have to address. There is not a single family in our society that isn’t somehow impacted by the negative effects of addiction.
The Davina’s Ark initiative is both visionary and socially innovative, the brainchild of one who found herself in the depths of ‘The unforgiving nightmare of addiction’ but who through determination battled her way back to recovery and rehabilitation and resolved to create opportunity for other sufferers.
