Dear Prime Minister,
In the past week much has been said about the morality or otherwise of breaking the lockdown rules that were put in place to slow the spread of the Coronavirus. There is little point reiterating the controversies surrounding your advisor, Mr Cummings, instead I am writing to you to let you know what other people have sacrificed in order to keep themselves and others safe.
When the decision was taken to close businesses, parks, schools and other public amenities, the Living Room Cardiff, an all addictions treatment centre had to be closed as well. Let me describe to you the workings of this centre and perhaps you will realise the impact its closure has had. It opens daily, is free to use and the staff there are skilled addictions therapists and all are in recovery from addiction themselves. It offers people struggling with addiction a safe place to deal with their problems, to become well, free from judgement and criticism. It gives people who have no idea who they are a roadmap to answer that question and it brings people whose lives are blighted by addiction and loneliness a way to come together and support each other. Addiction, like the virus, doesn’t discriminate between rich and poor, it knows no national, linguistic, cultural or religious boundaries, it devastates the lives of men and women, young and old and rips the hearts out of their families and loved ones.
We work tirelessly as a community to bring the message of recovery to those who need it. For now, this has had to be massively scaled back, we have lost our home. The Living Room has, for now, been reduced to a handful of mobile phone apps and it has become a community that has moved entirely online. Is that the end of the story though? No, not at all. This crisis has brought out the very best in people. Every day our WhatsApp groups are buzzing with energy and connection. There are men and women across Cardiff and South Wales, and some who are now connecting with us from as far away as America and Singapore, who are seizing the opportunity that this difficult time has presented them with to grow and become well. They have not descended into apathy or given up, instead they have chosen to thrive.
The lockdown has been hard for all of them, some have not seen children, grandchildren or other loved ones, others have lost jobs and volunteering opportunities and all have had to struggle with isolation, loneliness and the natural fears that the virus engenders. No one in our community has given up though, and each and every one has respected the lockdown and obeyed the rules. With some justification, many people in Britain are angry about the perceived injustice of those with wealth and power doing as they please, while the ‘little people’ struggle and suffer. I hope you will realise from this letter that whilst they have struggled, sacrificed and done their duty, the clients of the Living Room and other people in recovery, just like them, are not little people at all. They are an example of courage, fortitude and humanity that is all around sorely lacking elsewhere.
Yours Sincerely
The staff and service users of the Living Room Cardiff.