Sober festival celebrates its fourth year

A woman who previously felt that substance abuse was the only way she would have the freedom to enjoy music again, has co-created a festival celebrating recovery, wellbeing and community.

Cara Cox, from Stafford, helped to set up Recoverfest, just two years after she got sober. 3,000 people are expected to turn out to the fourth year of festival, which is set to take place at Uttoxeter Racecourse on Sunday.

Cox said: "The festival is very much driven by people with lived experience, and in recovery you have to do things that make you feel utterly uncomfortable, and it's through that you feel life becomes better."

The day will be headlined with a performance by former X-factor star, Lucy Spraggan, who has had her own journey with sobriety, as well as various speakers focused on the recovery of addiction.

Cox has now been 6 years sober, and in that time has even set up her own addiction recovery group, called The Detox Factor, that will be performing at the festival.

"I remember coming into recovery and thinking I'm never going to dance again.

"I always thought that recovery was just about stopping drugs, if I could just stop the chaos, if I could just stop the consequences then my life would be better, but I doesn't work like that."

At first, Cox felt that substances were what allowed her to tap into the feeling of being free and a part of something but after becoming sober she realised she could achieve that without it.

"Once you tap into something bigger than yourself and that can be the community of the people around you, your life becomes colourful, your life becomes vibrant."

The sober festival is in its fourth year and is continuing to grow.

Originally it took place at Stafford rugby club, but in its success has had to move to a larger venue at Uttoxeter Racecourse, due to popular demand.

Kendra Grey, CEO of the BAC O'Connor recovery service, helps to set up the event and finds that the festival helps to reduce stigma around various topics.

She said: "There's still sadly a huge amount of stigma around the use of drugs and alcohol, and what we want to show is that people can and do recover."

Event organiser, Sam Wilcox, said the festival is set up with the idea of celebrating people in recovery.

She added: "You hear a lot about addiction when someone is at their lowest, but we don't hear nearly enough about the thousands of people who do recover and who rebuild their lives".

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