BNU celebrates successful sold-out Drug and Alcohol conference

Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) celebrated holding its first ever Drug and Alcohol Conference in collaboration with the Oasis Partnership.

The sold-out event took place on the High Wycombe campus and was opened by Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Damien Page.

Organised by BNU's Community Engagement Officer, Charmain Clayton; Associate Professor in Sociology of Sport and Qualitative Method, Dr Ben Clayton; and Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, Dr Nicola Mallowan, the conference hosted industry professionals who delivered talks on topics including youth prevention and education, harm reduction and recovery, ADHD and substance use, and trauma-informed care.

In May, BNU held its first ever Drug and Alchol conference

Experienced leadership development consultant and trauma informed therapist, Alexandra Smith, gave a fantastically engaging session which looked at trauma imprint, explored the window of tolerance and examined the link between trauma and addiction.

She also took questions from the audience, where she spoke about the role of nutrition in trauma healing and answered questions about trauma healing in children from both a therapist and parents perspective.

BNU's Head of Disability and Inclusion, Charlotte Stewart, and CEO of The Oasis Partnership, Colin McGregor-Paterson, also spoke candidly about their own diagnosis and management of ADHD.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Damien Page, opened the Drug and Alcohol conference

The Oasis Partnership provides substance misuse services, expertise and recovery support, with a new focus on Early Intervention and Prevention, Employment, and a range of Health and Wellbeing initiatives.

Colin encouraged curiosity around ADHD's link to trauma, and spoke about the ADHD Resilience Network which looks at the link between drugs, alcohol, addictive behaviours and criminal activity to ADHD.

Trauma informed therapist, Alexandra Smith, delivered a fantastic session on trauma-Informed therapy

The network provides a newsletter, podcast and support group to raise awareness and add to the conversation from the voices of those with lived experience of the issues.

BNU holds a successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) scheme with the Oasis Partnership, equipping the charity with the capabilities required to launch, manage, and continue to develop new commercial services, to increase surplus income which will sustain and extend the services the charity provides to core clients.

BNU's Head of Disability and Inclusion, Charlotte Stewart, spoke at the sold-out event

The afternoon saw BNU's sober running group, Wellness Warriors on the Run, take to the stage to speak about their journey from substance addiction to recovery.

Lead by Phoenix Lifestyle Innovations founder and co-founder of WWOTR, Lewis Baker, each Warrior told how the social prescribing programme had transformed their life, helped them with recovery and improved their mental health.

Sarah Woodward from One Recovery Bucks also addressed the room and spoke about harm reduction approaches in the local community, and was followed by speaker Kelly Saward, who led the room through a meditation after revealing how she changed her life through meditative techniques.

(L-R) Annice Thomas, Charmain Clayton, Zahara Chowdhury and Sana Wasiq

BNU's HRBP -Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Zahara Chowdhury, Safeguarding Officer, Annice Thomas, and Senior Mental Health Advisor, Sana Wasiq, all lead the final session on 'Drugs, alcohol, and cultural diversity'.

Addressing her role in the conference, Zahara said: "I welcomed the opportunity to amplify awareness about cultural intelligence in substance abuse and recovery.

"There is still limited information and representation on support for marginalised communities, particularly care leavers, Black and Asian individuals. We look forward to addressing the knowledge and culture gap in trauma informed responses so that tailored support can be provided to what are often hidden voices."

Charmain Clayton and Lewis Baker spoke about social prescribing programme, Wellness Warriors

Co-organiser, Charmain Clayton, said: "I'm proud of being part of BNU's Drug and Alcohol conference; many important topics were covered, and seeing so many people there who found the sessions informative and inspiring was incredible to see, both personally and professionally. This conference is the first of many and there will be many more to come."

Co-organiser of the conference and Associate Professor in Sociology of Sport and Qualitative Method, Dr Ben Clayton, added: "Bringing together practitioners, campaigners, drug and alcohol survivors, and academics, the contributors to BNU's inaugural Drug and Alcohol Conference made plain the complexities and problems of substance use.

"Drug and alcohol use are significant social issues and a growing concern in Buckinghamshire and the whole of the UK, especially since Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.

The conference represented the first fruits of the combined efforts of the University's Centre for Improvement of Health and Wellbeing and Civic Engagement Team and provided an important platform for future research through the newly established Drug and Alcohol Research Group.

"Following the conference, we have already seen a spark in interest from community stakeholders to engage in co-designed, co-researched projects, which might help us to better understand the motivations for drug and alcohol use, reassess punitive drug and alcohol policies, and better support users through rehabilitation."

Dr Nicola Mallowan added: "I am so proud to be apart of BNU and The Oasis Partnership's inaugural Drug and Alcohol Conference; bringing together community-based stakeholders, academics and experts by experience. At times we laughed, at times we cried. It truly was an incredibly informational and inspiring day."

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