'Alcoholism left me homeless, now I help others recover'

When Darren Fox said he hit "rock bottom" at the worst of his alcoholism in 2019, he was homeless and slept in a box car at a railway siding.

Now, after being sober for five years, the 62-year-old from Rotherham is being recognised for his voluntary work with the drug and alcohol charity that helped him recover.

He has been given the Determined Volunteer Award by charity WithYou for his work helping other people struggling with addiction.

"I'm not afraid to say to people when they come into the service that I used to have the same kind of problem - if I can do it, they can," he said.

Darren said he first starting drinking recreationally before it "spiralled out of control".

"I grew up in a very working-class area of Sheffield, my father was a steelworker, everybody around me were drinkers - a lot of it stemmed from that," he said.

"Most of the jobs I went into, they had their own drinking cultures attached to them, so it was hard not to go out for a drink."

However, he said his ex-wife did not approve of how much alcohol he drank, so he began to do it in secret, hiding bottles where he didn't think anyone would find them.

"Obviously, they did - the only person I was actually lying to was myself."

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His addiction grew worse and he said he became "full-blown alcohol dependent".

"I had no money, nothing, living on the streets - absolutely horrendous."

Things changed when he discovered WithYou, which supported him to give up drinking, and he attended the New Beginnings rehabilitation and detox service in Doncaster.

"It's been a lifesaver for me, there's no doubt whatsoever I wouldn't be here now. I'd be dead," he said.

"There's no easy way through it, you've just to keep battering away. It's hard, it hurts, it's painful, and it seems like it's never-ending.

"But, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and people can get through it."

He started volunteering for WithYou in May 2024, and said he now used his own experiences to help others.

"There's no one-size-fits-all, we explain from day one that their recovery journey depends on them, but we are here to help and support them," he said.

"The best bit about my job is when someone does come through the other side, the light comes back into their eyes, and their life just takes off - it's absolutely amazing."

He said that being recognised by the charity left him "chuffed to bits", but it had also "made the day" of his daughter, Elizabeth Fox, 32.

"My daughter's been with me the whole way, she's been my absolute rock.

"I know it should be the other way around and I'm the parent, but if it hadn't been for my daughter, I wouldn't be here now.

"She's seen me at my absolute low and she's seen me get better - she's my best mate.

"I can see the pride in her eyes now, and that means the world to me."

WithYou recovery worker Lucy Boyes praised Darren for providing "support, knowledge, experience and compassion to both the clients and the staff".

She said: "His determination is inspiring to not only the clients, but also to the staff at Rotherham, as he demonstrates a passion and commitment to the role."

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