We took on the Recovery Games 2026
Earlier this month we told you our team would be heading to Doncaster for the Recovery Games. On Sunday 13 September we did exactly that, and it was a day to remember.
The Recovery Games is run by Recovery Games CIC, a lived experience recovery organisation. Every year it brings recovery communities from across the country together at Sandall Park for a full day of team challenges, live music and celebration. The aim is simple: make recovery visible, build stronger communities and show that life in recovery can be full of fun and connection.
A full day of challenges
Our team arrived in the morning ready to go, wearing our Scunthorpe Recovery Service shirts with pride.
Throughout the day the team took on a series of arena challenges. Each one tested something different: speed, strategy, balance, strength and, most of all, teamwork. There were tyres to shift, inflatables to climb and plenty of moments where the only way through was to pull together and back each other up.
Nobody was left on the sidelines. People stepped up for challenges they were unsure about, cheered each other on and kept going when legs were tired and the weather kept changing its mind. Between rounds, the team gathered on the grass to catch their breath, share food and swap stories with teams from other services.
A festival of colour
As the challenges wrapped up, the whole park came together in front of the main stage for the closing celebration. The music went up, the colour powder went everywhere and hundreds of people from recovery communities across the UK danced together covered head to toe in colour.
It was loud, joyful and a little bit chaotic in the best possible way. For a lot of our members it was the highlight of the day: a reminder that recovery is not about what you give up, it is about what you gain.
Recovery, abstinence, hope and courage
Winning was never the point. What mattered was turning up as a team, trying things that felt outside our comfort zones and being part of something bigger than ourselves.
Every person on our team is living proof that recovery is possible. Many are living abstinent lives, and a day like this shows what that can look like: a full day of laughter, music and dancing with a clear head, surrounded by people who understand the journey.
It takes courage to start recovery and courage to keep going. It also takes courage to throw yourself into a challenge in front of a crowd, or to dance in a cloud of colour when you would once have hidden away. We saw that courage all day long.
Above all, the Games were about teamwork. Nobody got through a challenge on their own, and nobody gets through recovery on their own either. Days like this build confidence, create friendships and give people a memory of hope to hold on to when things get tough. Everyone who came along should be proud of how they represented Scunthorpe.
A big thank you to Recovery Games CIC, the volunteers and everyone who organised the day, and to every team we shared the field with. See you next year.
Join us on the Recovery Walk
Recovery Month is not over yet. On Tuesday 22 September we will be setting off from Scunthorpe Recovery Service at 10.30am for our community Recovery Walk. It is a slow-paced walk open to all fitness levels, with food afterwards.
If you would like to come along, or you want to find out more about what we do, call us on 01724 410423, email scunthorpe@doubleimpact.org.uk, or drop in at 70a Frodingham Road, Scunthorpe, DN15 7JN.