10 February 2026
Ronnie Hart doesn't catastrophise.
Whatever his team bring to him, he tells them the same thing. There's always a solution. You just need to step back and look at it from another angle.
It's an approach shaped by more than two decades of lived experience, nearly 11 years of recovery, and a career spent supporting people through some of the most challenging moments of their lives.
Now an Advanced Practitioner at WithYou's North East Glasgow Recovery Hub, Ronnie manages a team of five, supporting people before and after residential rehabilitation.
"Nothing shocks me," he says. "My team know that. They know if they come to me, we'll find a way through."
Ronnie's journey to WithYou began during lockdown. He'd been following the charity on social media and noticed something that stood out.
"Everybody looked happy at their work. And that was attractive to me. Before that, I only ever felt like a number."
In December 2020, he applied for a prison recovery worker role. He didn't get that, but his interview made an impression and he was offered another job.
He took it. Starting during the Covid pandemic wasn't easy. Staff were split across home and office. There wasn't always someone around to show him the ropes. Within weeks, his caseload had doubled, then it eventually doubled again.
"It probably took me two years to find my own way of working,” Ronnie recalls.
By November 2024, Ronnie had moved into an Advanced Practitioner role, line managing the prehab team. His days now start with a check-in: how's everyone doing, any discharges, any issues?
Among other things, he reviews case notes, handles allocations, takes calls from care managers and sits on multi-disciplinary team meetings where funding for residential rehab is agreed.
He also runs a men's wellbeing group every Friday, something he's built up over years and has no intention of letting go.
"Group work is use it or lose it. I like to keep doing it, stay fresh. And I've got a good relationship with the guys."
Ronnie grew up in Paisley in the 1970s and 80s. Drugs and poverty were widespread. He started using substances at 12 and continued throughout his teens.
"I used drugs until they started to use me."
He was prescribed methadone for around 20 years. In his mid-40s, after finding himself back in court, he was advised to attend a six-week residential programme. He spent a year on the waiting list. Just before Christmas 2014, a bed became available.
Six weeks in, Ronnie realised it wasn't going to be enough. He moved into a longer-term programme, then into supported accommodation. He started volunteering with the local recovery community. Doors began to open.
"Anywhere there was anything recovery-focused, I was there. People could see I was committed."
He completed his SVQ 3 in Health and Social Care, then his SVQ 4. Within five months of starting a placement, he was offered a full-time job. He's been in work ever since.
Running is another thing Ronnie didn't know he could do. A member of staff at his rehab encouraged him to try. He ran half a mile and threw up.
But he kept going. He joined a group called Recovery Runners, then a running club. Eight years later, he's still with them.
In 2023, he ran the London Marathon for WithYou, his first at such a long distance.
"It was very emotional. Very challenging. It taught me the meaning of mental strength. And to couple that with doing it for an organisation I believe in. That was a big moment."
He's since completed the Edinburgh Marathon and has Murcia on the horizon.
When asked what he brings to his work, Ronnie is clear.
"I don't like my recovery being pigeonholed. I've taken wee bits from everything I've done — 12-step, rehab, volunteering, all the places I've worked. I bring nearly 11 years of recovery. Rediscovering yourself. Constantly growing. Identifying who you are."
That blend of lived experience and professional practice shapes how he supports others, and how he leads his team.
"I've got a fantastic team. All but one were already in place when I started managing them. They made the transition very easy."
After nearly five years at WithYou, Ronnie is clear about what keeps him here.
"In my previous roles, I never felt valued. At WithYou, I feel valued. They support me, my recovery, my health, my mental health. There hasn't been a day since I started where I've not wanted to go to my work."
If you or someone you know needs support with drugs or alcohol, Ronnie and the team are here to help. Find out more about our free, confidential support in Glasgow at wearewithyou.org.uk
