Second Story Recovery isn't a clinic, and we're not therapists. We're people who've been there — opening warm, judgement-free rooms across Halton where you can sit beside someone who gets it, drink a coffee, and feel less alone.
Addiction isn't a moral failing or a missing prescription — it's most often the place a person ends up when connection has been hard to find. So we don't replace the doctors, the keyworkers, or the counsellors doing brilliant work. We sit in the gap they can't fill: the long Tuesday afternoon, the empty kitchen, the first sober Saturday night.
See what a room actually looks likeNo referral. No appointment. No form to fill. If you're using, getting clean, supporting someone who is, or twenty years out the other side — you belong in the room.
Every room is opened by someone with their own lived experience. They're not there to advise or assess — they're there to make tea, hold the silences, and remind you you're not the only one.
No homework, no targets. Just numbers in your phone, a room to come back to next week, and a community that doesn't stop when you walk out the door.
When somebody wants counselling, detox, or medical support, we sit beside them on the call to their GP, their CGL keyworker, or A&E. We never hand a person off; we hand them over.
Tea, a familiar face, and a room full of people who get it. Our groups run across Halton — just turn up. Open to anyone affected by addiction, mental health, or homelessness.
Using drama and creativity to build confidence, share stories, and find your voice. Rooted in lived experience of mental health and addiction. No experience needed — just show up.
We don't wait for people to find us — we go to where they are. Our outreach service meets people across the Halton community, on their terms.
Not sure where to turn? We'll sit with you, help you make sense of your options, and walk you to the right door — whether that's a GP, a keyworker, or just another cup of tea.
From live music in Runcorn to our Got Talent showcase — we celebrate the stories, talent, and creativity alive in our community. Recovery isn't just about surviving. It's about living.
We work alongside councils, treatment services, and community organisations across Halton. If you want to bring lived experience into your work, let's talk.
We measure ourselves in attendances, not outcomes. Because the only person who can measure recovery is the person living it — and the only thing that's ever really helped is showing up.
I came in for the free coffee. I stayed because somebody asked how my mum was — and remembered her name the next week.
Therapy gave me the words. Second Story gave me the people I could say them to on a Sunday.
My son's still using. The Family room is the only place I can put that sentence down without people flinching.
No groups scheduled in the next 7 days.
Check back soon or get in touch for more information.
The opposite of addiction isn't sobriety.
It's a Tuesday-night kitchen with the lights on, somebody making the second pot of tea, and nobody checking the time.
— The Second Story Manifesto
Tea, biscuits, bus fares for peer-supporters, and the rent on a warm room. That's where it goes — every penny, every month, line by line in our open ledger.
Make a donation →Structured training, a buddy who's done it before you, and a room of your own to open. Required: lived experience, two free hours a week, and a willingness to make a lot of tea.
Apply for the next cohort →We work alongside councils, treatment services, and community organisations across Halton — alongside the clinical work, never instead of it. Free for the people who walk in.
Talk to the partnerships team →Message us, walk in, or read someone else's story until you're ready to tell yours. There is no wrong door at Second Story.
