Bernie’s Journey

I will be taking on a challenge on the 23rd of March to climb Mount Snowdon with my great friend Rob who I work with at Hytek GB, to raise money for The Living Room in Stevenage.

The Living Room is a charity that provides counselling and support for those with any addiction and for family members/carers, who have loved ones living with addiction.

My own journey to get to this point began back in May 2023, when I started to attend the weekly Family and Carers group meetings.

From the first day I attended the group meeting, I felt so welcome and just in a place where I could freely share my own challenges of living around addiction. It is also a place where you never feel judged, as all who attend have faced the day-to-day impact that the cruel disease of addiction creates in all our lives.

Through my own journey I am now starting to find me again, as I continue to attend this group, learning that I have no control over my son and his addiction, and that he is on his own journey and has also significantly benefited from his time at The Living Room.

I personally cannot thank The Living Room enough for the support and guidance my son and I have received since starting in our separate groups.

Nine months ago, I never knew such an organisation existed, but over my time attending, I have felt truly overwhelmed, blessed and so grateful to know I am not alone in this situation, and I am finding a path back to living my own life again fully day by day.

Addiction is a destructive disease, which indiscriminately affects many people and family’s alike and having seen the damage it can do, I just want to learn more and help where I can.

So please support me by donating today to help The Living Room continue to change lives with the tireless work they do, guiding and mentoring those who really want to recover, back to a life free of addiction with some peace and purpose. Bernie Byers