28 May 2026
Dot started as a client at (then) Addaction in 2018. After getting sober she began volunteering, became a recovery worker in the Criminal Justice Intervention Team (CJIT) in 2020, and now leads on community engagement for the service.
Here, Dot reflects on her journey from client to coordinator, what drives her work with volunteers, and the partnerships that help WithYou show up where it matters most.
From client to colleague
I came to Addaction as a client in 2018. After I got sober, I was encouraged to volunteer - and that year of volunteering changed everything for me. I joined the CJIT team as a recovery worker in 2020, and when the Community Engagement Coordinator role came up, I jumped at it. Volunteers have always been close to my heart, so being able to focus on that felt like a natural next step.
Outside of work I'm mum to three boys, which I love (most of the time). I have anxiety and do my best to push through it when it strikes. I'm vegetarian, I love horror films - Wes Craven's 1996 Scream is a masterpiece - and music and musicals that lift the mood.
Supporting our volunteers
Managing our volunteers is the biggest part of my role, and it's also my favourite. I advertise, interview, train and onboard everyone, and I work to find roles that suit who they are while still benefiting the service.
Many of our volunteers are in recovery themselves, so offering proper support matters. I do monthly supervisions, and I also keep an open calendar so anyone can book in whenever they need a chat. After hearing from volunteers at a recent forum, I've started quarterly coffee mornings too, something they told me they wanted.
The thing I love most is watching skills grow over time. Someone arrives tentative, gradually finds their feet, takes on more, and develops in ways they didn't expect. Being part of that is a privilege.
Building presence in the community
The other side of my role is making sure we're visible and active locally. I attend a lot of partnership meetings, and I've put real time into building relationships with other organisations so we can work better, together.
One example: I've been working with Somewhere to Go to set up a route for them to hold and distribute Naloxone when we're not around. We're nearly there, and I'm hoping to expand it to other services.
I also help co-produce harm reduction events. There's one coming up on Loxton Campus about domestic violence, where I'll be speaking about the links between substance use and DV. Showing up in those spaces and being a known face makes a real difference to who we reach.
A bit of everything else
Alongside all of that, I co-manage our student counsellors, run our Recovery Circle and Friends & Family groups (with another in the pipeline), help with group presentations and resources, and I'm one of our wellbeing champions.
My motto
"You have more chance of having a great day if you tell yourself that you will."
