ARC Fitness and Northland offer an NI First for those in residential treatment

Derry-based addiction recovery services ARC Fitness and Northlands Treatment Center are teaming up to provide exercise opportunities for individuals in residential treatment.

The new collaborative partnership will see Northlands, a residential rehabilitation centre, transport residents to ARC Fitness once a week for fitness sessions and support is being built in an attempt to broaden the service offering of both organizations and also improve the physical health of those involved in residential treatment.

Although the partnership itself is new, the two organizations have teamed up before to host the annual Recovery Walk NI, Northern Ireland’s largest outdoor recovery event. Tommy Canning, Head of Treatment at Northlands, was also the keynote speaker at ARC’s recent Recovery in Motion conference.

ARC Fitness founder and strategic coordinator, Gary Rutherford, commented on the partnership.

He said: We are very excited to partner with the Northlands Center, which has been serving this city and beyond in the area of ​​addiction recovery for over 40 years.

“The lives positively impacted by the Northlands team and the support they have provided to individuals struggling with substance abuse and their families is simply commendable and therefore we could not be more proud to solidify the relationship between our two organizations.

“This partnership also demonstrates how beneficial such collaborations between addiction services in the city can be. We are all fighting this fight together and it is essential that we find new ways of working and supporting each other for the benefit of the people who use our very necessary Services.

When Northland residents are welcomed to ARC, they are supported by qualified and accredited coaches who not only seek to introduce them to the gym and physical fitness, but also to the spirit of ARC, including the organization’s desire to empower people in recovery and physically rebuild them. after active dependence.

The partnership not only offers physical benefits, but also provides an opportunity to show Northland service users that there are other services in the community that can help them after the period of residential support.

Tommy Canning, Head of Treatment at Northlands, also commented on the partnership.

He said: It was highlighted to us in some exit assessments of our residents that they would have taken up the opportunity to do more physical exercise during their period of residential treatment and whilst we were keen to address this gap in our service, we were also very aware that the space we would send our residents to would be safe, therapeutic and compassionate and it is abundantly clear that ARC Fitness covers all of these areas.

“The weekly visit to ARC not only adds something extra to our care model, but also gives residents the opportunity to return to an exercise space or perhaps exercise for the first time. It also offers a natural entry point to ARC , a service they could take advantage of after their stay in Northlands.

“There is a great need for more collaborative work in the world of addiction services, and while the opposite of addiction is attachment, it is also important that we partner with other organizations that align with our ethics.

“It has become clear through many discussions between Northlands and ARC that we are natural partners who share very similar ideas and thoughts around addiction services and we look forward to continuing to celebrate recovery together.

ARC Fitness is a non-profit organization first launched in 2019 by Gary, a registered mental health nurse and qualified personal trainer. It seeks to give individuals, who are recovering from addiction and substance misuse, the opportunity to focus on improving their physical and mental well-being through physical activity, professional support and reconnection with the community.

If you are interested in finding out more about ARC Fitness and its services or would like to partner with ARC in some way, please visit https://arcfitness.uk/.