Ex Addict helping others struggling with addiction

A year ago, Craig Whitelock set up the charity, Community Links, in Hartlepool, an organisation which helps alcoholics and drug addicts to get clean and sober by providing them with a safe place to meet, comfortable and free of judgment, whilst simultaneously offering support, friendship, education and signposting to recovery services. Craig welcomed the team to the Community Links Hub in the Salaam Centre in Murray Street, Hartlepool, allowing us to see, first-hand, clients and visitors engaging in group activities. The community centre, which also houses a mosque, was bustling with people, some of whom attend regularly, others who pop in intermittently for a catch-up with friends, and those venturing in for the first time in the hope of escaping from the madness of substance dependency. Craig greets us warmly with smiles and handshakes, handshakes that will become hugs before we leave. Confident and self-assured, he exudes a natural charm, attentively introducing us to those present and others as they arrive. Bobby, just over a year clean, nods, grinning shyly, supported by his partner Gemma. Anybody familiar with the addiction lifestyle, knows they have been through the wringer, but their happiness shows itself in their smiles. A group of casually dressed youngsters collects around a dining table, enjoying snacks donated by a local bakery. They chat easily. Beyond them two people indulge in an uncertain game of table tennis. A couple of lads play pool in the back room. There’s a dartboard too, but nobody is slinging arrows today. The atmosphere of the place is vibrant and upbeat. In a side room, Patrick, a graphics design graduate and fisherman, operates a “rig clinic”, demonstrating a range of fishing equipment, the correct baiting of hooks etc. to anybody with an interest in taking part in the “Tackling Addiction” fishing expeditions that reel in double figures. There is a strong sense of community spirit. Howie, the on-site counsellor, offers one-to-one support to clients. Posters advertise litter-picking activities. A computer suite hints at the educational services on offer. A confused woman enters the building asking Craig which side of his chest his heart is on. He jokes that he doesn’t have one, then spends time chatting to her. It is clear that he takes a personal interest in every member of this eclectic family. We would like to know more about the man behind the movement, so here we are with cameras, tripods and a rising curiosity, rearranging the furniture in an office set aside for the interview. We hope you enjoy what Craig had to say as much as we did.