'I was always the drunkest at the party'

A man wants to help others struggling with addiction by sharing his story of substance abuse.

Harry Gurd, 24, started having problems with drink and drugs about seven years ago.

He said he "waved the white flag" last year and with the support of an island charity, has been on the road to recovery since.

As part of his recovery has has been doing boxing training and has his first fight on Saturday, raising money for the Silkworth charity.

"I was always the drunkest at the party", Mr Gurd said of his challenges.

"My real substance misuse started when I moved over to the UK for a couple of years because things are a lot more accessible there."

He moved to Brighton with friends in 2021 having saved up money during coronavirus lockdowns.

"I ended up wasting it all within a few months on trips to various cities in the UK, alcohol, other substances, and my obsession with gambling and casinos", he said.

"This was my first wake-up call to the negative effects my lifestyle was having on different areas of my life."

After about a year and a half, he decided to move back to Jersey due to the impact on his "mental, physical, and financial health", but continued to struggle.

"I tried to sort it out for a few months on my own but I waved the white flag", he said.

He approached Silkworth, a charity providing residential rehabilitation for men and women who are affected by drug and alcohol addiction, at it’s lodge in St Helier.

Mr Gurd said he knew of the charity from childhood as a close family friend had used their services to help successfully recover from alcohol abuse.

As part of his recovery he has been training at the Transform Together boxing gym - a sport he had never done before.

On Saturday he will take part in his first fight at a white-collar boxing event, to raise funds for the charity.

"I feel they've given hope to me, but also to my close ones as well and just everyone in the recovery community", he said.

He said health and fitness had been at the heart of his recovery.

"People that knew me are astounded by the person I’ve become today and to look back to where I was a year ago is quite profound," Mr Gurd added.

"My family feels like they have their family member back."

Jason Wyse is CEO of Silkworth and has helped Mr Gurd with his recovery - he praised him for his commitment, and sharing his story.

Mr Wyse said it had been amazing because "it underpins what we do".

He added: "There is more to it than just stopping the use of the substance, it is about moving on with your life and Harry is doing that."

Cameron Elliott, founder of the boxing gym, has himself "suffered with addiction and mental health problems".

"Harry is walking example of how you can overcome substance abuse problems and he’s helped break down barriers for others nervous about getting into the gym," Mr Elliott said.

The boxing event is being held at the Merton Hotel on Saturday night.

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