STAR Housing

06/10/2026

Today the clients were invited to decorate paper lanterns🏮. They used multiple techniques to decorate their lanterns; some used colourful tissue paper which they applied with PVA glue, whilst others used acrylic paint and marker pens.

This is a beautifully simple and grounding activity. The repetitive action of tearing the tissue paper and applying the glue is tactile and calming.

The technique of breaking the task down into smaller manageable pieces is also symbolic of the approach encouraged for long term recovery, ‘one day at a time’, or - one piece at a time.

One client wrote on their lantern about ‘the fire burning bright within them’, and suggested letting the lanterns all float away together.

Lanterns can represent light, hope, optimism, the future as well as letting go.

24/09/2026

🥁 AFRICAN DRUMMING 🥁
Another fantastic session with Mandy & the team from Somewhere House in Somerset! 💫

This is genuinely a session we all look forward to every time they come. There’s something so powerful about bringing everyone together through music, rhythm, connection and a lot of laughter. 🥁✨

Recovery is about so much more than simply not using drugs or alcohol. It’s about reconnecting with yourself and others, trying new experiences, building confidence and learning how to enjoy life again. ❤️

A massive thank you to Mandy and the Somewhere House team for continuing to bring such amazing energy to STAR. We absolutely love having you with us!

23/09/2026

💜 STAND FOR NO JUDGEMENT 💜
At STAR Housing, we believe recovery should be a place of compassion, understanding and absolutely no judgement.

Everyone has a story.
Everyone has a past.
Everyone has made mistakes.
And everyone deserves the opportunity to change. ✨

Addiction does not define a person.

We don’t need to know how far someone has fallen to recognise the courage it takes to stand back up. Recovery is about looking forward, rebuilding lives and becoming the person you know you can be.

At STAR, we choose to support, not shame.
We choose to listen, not judge.
We choose to believe in people, even when they are learning to believe in themselves.

There is no shame in asking for help.
There is no shame in starting again.
There is no shame in recovery. 💫

Stand for kindness.
Stand for compassion.
Stand for recovery.
STAND FOR NO JUDGEMENT. 💜

22/09/2026

Today the clients were invited to make their own masks using ‘plaster of paris’ bandages. Clients could either make an exact replica of their own faces or make a neutral face with a cardboard mask as the structure.
For the clients who decided to use their own face this was a personal and sensory rich activity that required teamwork, trust, and a sense of humour.

The process of making a mask invites the client to reflect on their own identity, how they perceive themselves and how would they wish to be perceived by others.
It provides an opportunity to think about who we are and who we want to be.
Next week, once the masks have finished drying, the clients will paint, decorate and embellished them to reflect their own personalities.
One of the clients commented today that they especially enjoyed the maskmaking because it was so tactile, it brought them into the moment. This type of physical and creative activity creates an opportunity to breathe, reflect and have fun.

22/09/2026

Triggers & Relapse Prevention 🚨 🚦
A really powerful and engaging group last week at the STAR Housing Day Programme focusing on triggers, warning signs and relapse prevention.

We started by working in pairs on our traffic-light triggers 🟢🟠🔴 looking at how our thoughts, feelings and behaviours can move from a place of stability into a higher-risk state.

One of the biggest messages from last week was that relapse doesn’t always start with picking up or using. It can begin much earlier, with small changes in our thinking, behaviour, routines and emotional wellbeing.

By recognising our own warning signs early, we give ourselves the opportunity to reach out, use our support network and take action before we reach red.

Recovery is about learning to recognise ourselves, understanding our patterns, knowing our triggers and building the tools to respond differently. 💫

Another brilliant day of connection, learning and peer support at STAR. ⭐️

22/09/2026

Absolute phenomenal service for women in Bristol 💥🫶✨

This new funding enables us to expand our hub from three to four full days, creating more opportunities for us to support women with housing and homelessness prevention, alongside the trauma-informed healthcare and therapeutic support that makes the hub so important for women.

A housing advisor from Bristol City Council is now coming to the hub every other Monday so women don't need to go to the city centre to complete homelessness assessments.

This is a huge achievement for removing barriers to getting women facing homeless into emergency accommodation.

Thank you to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Governments for choosing to support One25 as part of their Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund.

22/09/2026

🕊️ INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE & WORLD GRATITUDE DAY 🙏✨
Yesterday marked two days that feel incredibly meaningful to us at STAR, International Day of Peace and World Gratitude Day.

For many of us in recovery, peace and gratitude are things we once thought we might never experience.

Peace from the chaos.
Peace from constantly fighting ourselves.
Peace in our homes, our relationships and most importantly, within ourselves. 🕊️

And then there is gratitude.

Gratitude for another day clean and sober.
Gratitude for second chances.
Gratitude for the people who stood beside us.
Gratitude for the opportunity to rebuild relationships, families and futures.
Gratitude for simply waking up and having a life worth living. ❤️

Recovery doesn’t mean every day is easy but it gives us the opportunity to find peace in places where there was once chaos and gratitude for things we may once have taken for granted.

At STAR Housing, we see every day what can happen when someone is given safety, stability, support and hope.

Today, we’re taking a moment to appreciate how far we’ve come, the people walking alongside us, and the beautiful gift that recovery continues to give.

Peace within. Gratitude always. Recovery together. ✨🕊️

21/09/2026

RECOVERY MONTH – HMP BRISTOL 💥

Today we had the privilege of going into HMP Bristol for a special Recovery Month event and what a fantastic day it has been. 🫶

We took one of our STAR Housing clients and one member of our Day Program from Emerge with us to share their lived experience, their recovery journeys and most importantly, HOPE. These two were real advocates for abstinence housing in Bristol.

Hope that recovery is possible.
Hope that life can look different.
Hope that YOU can change. 💫

Lived experience is absolutely vital in helping others into recovery. There is something incredibly powerful about one person being able to look at another and say, “I’ve been where you are and there is another way.”

Our Co-Founders & Co-CEOs also gave an insight into what STAR Housing provides and the support available when people are ready to make that change.

At STAR, our aim is to provide safety, stability and love while empowering people to take ownership of their recovery and build a life they are proud of. ❤️‍🩹⭐️

Days like today remind us exactly why we do what we do.

The spiritual tank is FULL. ✨

A massive thank you to Cade & Terry for being part of today, for sharing so openly and for showing others what is possible. We are incredibly proud of you both. 🙏

18/09/2026

💜 WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY CELEBRATING RECOVERY! 💜

Today, in honour of Recovery Month, we joined together with another abstinence-based organisation here in Bristol to celebrate the incredible people from STAR Housing, Emerge and our Day Programme. 🌟

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in life turning up, doing the next right thing and navigating everything that comes our way, that we can forget to stop and truly appreciate what recovery has given us.

Today gave us that opportunity. 💫

We heard three incredibly powerful raw shares, followed by a round robin where everyone shared something that recovery has given them.

Connection.
Family.
Freedom.
Hope.
Purpose.
A second chance at life. ❤️

Today was a beautiful reminder of just how lucky we are and how far people can come when they are given the right support, community and belief.

Recovery is possible. Recovery is worth celebrating. 🌟