The Recovery Course
The Recovery Course is a Christian charity established to equip and encourage churches to run The Recovery Course in order to help people break the power of addiction in their lives. Our vision is to see anyone who is suffering from the pain and grip of addiction restored to wholeness and a new sense of purpose in life.
Through participating in the course, the guests are able to take back control of their lives and find the support they need, knowing that they do not have to face addiction alone and can begin to live a happy and fulfilled life free of addiction. We believe that with the right support, recovery and lasting change is possible for anyone.
Background
The Recovery Course was launched in 2007 at a church in Central London and is run by volunteers, many of whom have experienced recovery from addiction in their own life. Over the 8 years that it ran there, around 2500 people went through the course, many of them finding lasting freedom from their addiction. The first-ever course was attended by 8 people, but 6 courses later around 120 were attending each week with all forms of addiction issues, ranging from Alcohol, Drugs and Gambling, through to Pornography, Gaming, Social Media and Eating Disorders.
Our main vision now is to equip churches around the country to run the course. The founder of the course, Nigel Skelsey, has written a comprehensive course manual that builds on his years of experience running The Recovery Course and the manual and all other supporting resources are available free of charge to any Church wishing to run a course, once they have attended the training that is also provided free of charge by The Recovery Course leadership team.
Overview
The Recovery Course is based on the 12-step programme of Alcoholics Anonymous, incorporating Christian principles and designed solely for anyone seeking to break a dependence on an addiction. We welcome all onto our courses, regardless of ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The course offers essential tools and practical ideas and support to help understand addiction and help people find lasting recovery. And most important of all there is no charge whatsoever for anyone: all resources and training are free to churches and there is no cost whatsoever for those attending the course.
What is involved?
The course runs for fifteen weeks and each session includes a teaching video and testimony from a recovering addict. This is followed by quality time in single-sex groups, exploring the 12 steps from a Christian faith perspective and gaining knowledge and skills about addiction and how to beat it.
Through participating in the course, the guests are able to take back control of their lives and find the support they need, knowing that they do not have to face addiction alone and can begin to live a happy and fulfilled life free of addiction. We believe that with the right support, recovery and lasting change is possible for anyone.
Background
The Recovery Course was launched in 2007 at a church in Central London and is run by volunteers, many of whom have experienced recovery from addiction in their own life. Over the 8 years that it ran there, around 2500 people went through the course, many of them finding lasting freedom from their addiction. The first-ever course was attended by 8 people, but 6 courses later around 120 were attending each week with all forms of addiction issues, ranging from Alcohol, Drugs and Gambling, through to Pornography, Gaming, Social Media and Eating Disorders.
Our main vision now is to equip churches around the country to run the course. The founder of the course, Nigel Skelsey, has written a comprehensive course manual that builds on his years of experience running The Recovery Course and the manual and all other supporting resources are available free of charge to any Church wishing to run a course, once they have attended the training that is also provided free of charge by The Recovery Course leadership team.
Overview
The Recovery Course is based on the 12-step programme of Alcoholics Anonymous, incorporating Christian principles and designed solely for anyone seeking to break a dependence on an addiction. We welcome all onto our courses, regardless of ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The course offers essential tools and practical ideas and support to help understand addiction and help people find lasting recovery. And most important of all there is no charge whatsoever for anyone: all resources and training are free to churches and there is no cost whatsoever for those attending the course.
What is involved?
The course runs for fifteen weeks and each session includes a teaching video and testimony from a recovering addict. This is followed by quality time in single-sex groups, exploring the 12 steps from a Christian faith perspective and gaining knowledge and skills about addiction and how to beat it.
“The tools I learnt on the course were massive in keeping me away from drink, and I believe that the prayer I said, God honoured it.”
To hear the story of Pete Shearman please click the link.
The Recovery Course for Prisons
In 2025 we launched a newly developed Recovery Course for Prisons, a six-session version specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of those in custody. This is headed up by two of our Trustees with huge experience within the prison estate. Rev Jo Davies has been passionately involved in Prison Ministry for almost 28 years, seven of these as Managing Chaplain at HMP Pentonville. She is joined by Steve Page who spent 10 years at Alpha International where he worked as the UK Development Manager for Prison Alpha.
A team of volunteers has been running this new course at HMP Pentonville and a course has just been completed at HMP Berwyn, the largest prison in the UK with a design capacity of over 2,100 men, which focuses heavily on rehabilitation, education, and resettlement.
The Recovery Course Prisons’ Hub
Due to the logistical difficulties of operating inside a number of prisons, we are now also exploring the idea of creating meeting venues in the community whereby ex-offenders can come to The Recovery Course on their release. Our first course is being trialled in June 2026 at a central London church with a view to the possibility of developing a network of churches around the country that are located near their local prison.
For more information please see The Recovery Course website by clicking here.
