Kevin Manley

ITV Interview

2008-06-06T13:19:00.010+01:00

In May 2006 I was approached, through Wired In, by an ITV researcher-the reason was that a Turkish crime boss had just been found guilty of heroin trafficking, and the ITV wanted to do an interview with somebody that had been affected by heroin addiction.

It took a couple of hours to film and the crew were great. The interviewer asked me was there anything that I wanted to make sure was in the final cut, so I had a certain amount of input into the editing stage.

The interview screened on the ITV News at 6 on Monday 15th May 2006 and was also screened on SKY News and national breakfast TV the next day!

Please click here to see Kev's ITV slot

Greased lightning!!

2008-06-05T16:55:00.006+01:00

As part of work I do with Wired In, there is a certain amount of film work included. I was lent a MacBook Pro for this very reason. The problem was I'd never even touched a Mac before, let alone used all the programs on one! I had to learn and learn fast, as I was meeting with volunteers soon and didn't want to look like a numpty in front of them!

I managed to figure out how to get the camera recording and at that very moment a grease medley started on the radio, well that was too good to refuse! So I wacked it right up, grabbed a TV remote as a microphone and made a right arse of myself !

'Kevin making a fool out of himself!'

I did it my way

2008-06-05T10:56:00.008+01:00

A couple of months back I was asked what I thought of blogs, "what are they?" was my reply! Since then I've really enjoyed blogging about all sorts of things, the good, the bad and the ugly. I've found it a useful platform for getting my opinions out there.

Have a look and let me know what you think - I did it my way

The film of my recovery - Kevin's story

2008-06-04T17:56:00.010+01:00

Making this film was so much fun, I'd love to do it again! It charts my addiction from beginning to end and also involves my mother, Kerry, who describes my addiction from a different angle - as only a loved one of someone with an addiction can do so. It's a heart rendering story that pulls no punches.

The film has been cut into 8 parts to make viewing on YouTube easier, and there is also a short version. The film is also available to purchase on DVD, just send us an email, and we'll give you the details.

I'd really like to do a follow up to the film about events that have happened since this film was made (2006) but that would involve securing funding - but if think you could help make that happen then please get in touch!

Get the popcorn out, here it is -

My personal story

2008-06-04T17:48:00.010+01:00

This was a mamouth task! I went right back to my childhood and have told everything-warts and all! It was a bit hairy at times, but overall I think it was a positive experience as it helped me to put the past to bed, so to speak, and look ahead to better times.

If it can help someone to understand a bit more about addiction then that's good enough for me!

So here it is - My personal story

Question & Answer sessions

2008-06-04T17:43:00.013+01:00

These sessions cover the topic's of 'deciding to change' and 'relapse'. I've talked about my experiences in dealing with the problems of addiction when trying to make life changes and also my personal experiences of relapse and how I got my recovery back on track.

Deciding to change - Talks about how I handle change

Relapse - Is an account of my experience of relapse

Introducing myself

2008-06-04T17:14:00.009+01:00

I've had problems with drugs since my early teenage years, when I first started to use. I didn't recognise that I had a problem, but looking back it's quite obvious! By the age of 19 I was smoking heroin every day, and soon couldn't function without it. This led to me becoming homeless and resulted in my family relationships breaking down and a life of loneliness and pain that I wouldn't escape from until I was 28.

I've been volunteering for Wired In since 2005, and I've had the oppotunity to get involved in lots of different things, including - being interviewed by ITV News at 6 (also shown on SKY News and breakfast TV!), giving talks at university's and conferences, film work (in front & behind the camera)... the list goes on and on!

It's had an amazing effect on both my confidence and self esteem, joining Wired In was the best decision I've made in years!