Welcome the StreetScene staff biographies page.

Tessa Corner, C.E.O.

When I finally came into recovery I was homeless, hopeless, penniless and very pregnant. I had a choice between losing my daughter and carrying on till it killed me or getting my act together. I thought I’d give getting my act together a try.

I had an idea that getting into abstinence based recovery was going to be like living the same life I had before but without using anything, I was very wrong. I think the first few things that I found to be very different were the laughter, the lack of fear, the friends and the money.

I can still remember the first time I really laughed in recovery, I was with a group of peers in treatment and something vaguely funny happened on the news and we all just burst out laughing, we laughed so much we all had tears in our eyes, sounds daft I know but it dawned on me that was the first time I had really laughed like that, without using a thing, since I was a kid. The joy of laughter hasn’t left me since.

I also remember waking up and not being in fear. When I was using pretty much every morning would be started with the fear of some sort coming back to me, fear of being sick, fear of being caught, fear of life in general. After quite a short time in treatment the fear began to lift and I began to wake up each day feeling different, sometimes warm and comfy, sometime happy, sometimes still sleepy, sometimes grumpy, sometimes anxious but always different. I think this is when I began to realise that life in recovery was nothing like I had expected.

Another very important thing I found in recovery was making friends. These weren’t people I knew based around my using, but people I liked and who liked me just because of who we are. I met people I really clicked with, who are still friends of mine over 20 years later. We would meet up, go places, call each other, chat together and so on. Plans weren’t broken all the time, no one was sick or waiting for a phone call, no one was trying to rip me off or me them. It felt, and still feels, really good.

Lastly I found that my whole relationship with money changed. The first thing I noticed is that generally speaking I actually had some. I wasn’t always hanging on to enough to get me through, I could spend it on whatever I wanted and it didn’t matter. Buying something wasn’t going to result in me being sick later on. I didn’t have to worked out what I needed and just spend the rest, it was all available.

As time has gone on life has just continued to get better, the hole I always felt inside myself has gone. There have been tough times it’s true, like when my Dad died, but then I have always managed to get through them with the help and support of my friends. I couldn’t have imagined a life like the one I have today when I was using. I have things to look forward to these days, a meal with friends, a trip to see a stand up comedian, a theatre trip, a trip to the forest, a holiday next year. I have a life full of family (I didn’t lose my daughter, she is 23 now and at university) and friends, a home full of stuff I wanted and have bought for myself, a car, hobbies, pets, and time to enjoy it all.

Patrick Gormley, C.O.O.

I have no regrets in my life since moving from London over 20 years ago. The quality of my life has improved beyond my expectations.

Today my time is spent between raising my family, working with StreetScene and enjoying the love and support of my family and friends. The sense of community is so strong here and it reminds me of my childhood in Dublin, where it just felt so comfortable. I knew everyone and it was just idyllic in many ways.

When I left Dublin to move to London there was a period in my life that I just ‘got through’ as opposed to enjoying, but that opened the door to what my life is today.

As well as working for StreetScene I run a football club and most of the players are in recovery. We have really grown both as a club and as individuals. The friendships that have grown within the club have stood the test of time and proved to be very special.

My hopes and dreams for the future are that we can continue to support and offer hope to people who find themselves caught in the grip of addiction, and personally, if the next 20 years are half as fulfilling, challenging and enjoyable I would consider myself to be very privileged.

Zoë Martindale, Senior Clinical Practitioner.

My desire for learning is my inspiration in life, everything that comes my way is a learning experience and an exciting opportunity to develop on a daily basis. I have worked in the field for the past ten years, and have been with Streetscene Addiction Recovery for nine of those years. I enjoy working with a dedicated team and the most encouraging part of my job is knowing that we all have the same enthusiastic passion to help treat addiction. I was a practising addict for 25 years, the walking dead, my spirit was crushed and my soul was destroyed. I had a choice death or recovery, thankfully I chose recovery. Since my recovery journey began I spent my first few years wanting to understand myself and addiction. I studied psychology and criminology for six years and then went on to study addiction and successfully achieved an honours degree in both. I have a vast knowledge of relapse prevention strategies and have recently been trained in advanced clinical skills by Terence Gorski, relapse prevention specialist. I can only describe the changes in my life as miraculous. I have been in a relationship for over 13 years and have a fantastic relationship with my son who I am extremely proud of. Being in recovery is truly amazing and being a part of our client’s recovery journey is the most fulfilling gift anyone could ever ask for.

“What you are is what you have been. What you’ll be is what you do now.”