Local partners met for a community event at the Centre AT7 Centre.
The event celebrated how vital social connections and physical activities are, whether its football, walking groups, or other social activities that can help to reduce stress and promote sobriety.
The Dynamo Project was one of several agencies in Coventry that met to celebrate the role of movement‑based interventions in supporting wellbeing and sustained recovery from alcohol and drug use.
The Dynamo Project is a community interest residential rehabilitation project, which can house up to 27 residents who are struggling with addiction and help them in their recovery journey. The Project has helped 1000’s of people struggling with addictions and has operated in the city since 2022.
Other organisations helping to promote the importance of exercise and movement in physical and psychological health who helped mark the event included Coventry City Council Public Health, Coventry University, and Sky Blues in the Community.
Allison Duggal, Director for Public Health, at the Council, said: “Move to Recover is a brilliant example of how local collaboration can transform lives.
“By combining lived experience, professional expertise and the power of movement, we’ve created an environment where people feel supported, valued and able to thrive.
“This is public health in action by removing barriers, reducing isolation and helping people build the foundations for long‑term wellbeing.”
Bringing together service users, volunteers, staff and community supporters, Move to Recover was shaped through genuine co‑design.
The event heard from the voices and lived experience of people in recovery, combined with the specialist knowledge of delivery partners. The collaborative, trauma‑informed approach ensured the event felt safe, inclusive and meaningful, firmly grounded in the realities of the local community.
At the heart of Move to Recover were football and friendship. Working in partnership with individuals supported by the Dynamo Project, the event went beyond physical activity to create opportunities for connection, confidence and belonging.
One staff member from the Dynamo Project, said: “Working with James over the past few months has been great and to finish with the tournament, where so many individuals in Recovery where able to come together, in the spirit of the game was brilliant.”
Participants were supported to build relationships, rediscover enjoyment in movement and strengthen the social bonds that are vital to long‑term recovery.
Sport in Science and Fresh Co have also donated to the scheme.