ARC Fitness to host 2026 “Recovery in Motion” conference in Derry's Millennium Forum

Derry-based addiction recovery service ARC Fitness has announced the return of its annual “Recovery in Motion” Conference, taking place on Wednesday, September 9 at the Millennium Forum in Derry.

ARC Fitness NI’s 2026 conference will once again bring together individuals with lived experience, recovery advocates, academics, professionals and organisations working across addiction, mental health and community support.

Through keynote talks, presentations and shared learning, the one-day event will explore different approaches to recovery, the importance of community and connection, and how services can work together to create meaningful and lasting change.

This year’s speakers include David Best, Founder and Director of STAR Recovery; Tracey McFall, Chief Executive Officer of the Scottish Recovery Consortium; Maggs Dillon, Regional Recovery Coordinator at Compass Recovery HUB; and Aisling McBride, Lecturer in Paramedic Science.

They will also be joined by representatives from ARC Fitness who will share insight from ARC’s work supporting individuals and families impacted by addiction in the North West.

Together, the speakers will bring a diverse range of perspectives spanning lived experience, research, frontline services and community-led recovery, creating an opportunity to share knowledge while highlighting the many different routes through which recovery can be achieved.

Gary Rutherford, Founder and Strategic Coordinator of ARC Fitness and host of the conference, said: “Every year, Recovery in Motion gives us an opportunity to bring people together who share a belief that recovery is possible and that nobody’s past should determine what comes next for them.

That message feels particularly important this year as the conference forms part of our ‘Rewrite The Story’ campaign. Too often, people affected by addiction can find themselves defined by one chapter of their lives – by their addiction, their mistakes or the stigma that others place upon them. At ARC, we see every day that those stories can change.

This conference is about creating space for honest conversations, learning from one another and hearing from people who are helping to shape recovery in different ways across the UK and Ireland. Whether someone comes from a professional background, has lived experience themselves or supports a loved one, we want them to leave feeling informed, connected and, most importantly, hopeful about what recovery can look like.”

The conference forms part of a wider programme of activity under ARC’s 2026 ‘Rewrite The Story’ campaign, which will see a series of public events take place across the city throughout the year. The campaign aims to challenge the narratives and stigma that can surround addiction, while demonstrating that recovery can offer people the opportunity to write a new chapter for themselves, their families and their communities.

Since launching in 2019, ARC Fitness has continued to develop its approach to recovery by combining structured physical activity, therapeutic support and connection to community. The annual conference has become an important date in the organisation’s calendar, providing a platform for collaboration and conversations around how individuals, families and communities can be better supported.

The 2026 conference will build on that momentum while reinforcing the central message behind ‘Rewrite The Story’: addiction does not have to be the end of someone’s story, and with the right support, community and opportunity, a different future is possible.

Ticket information for the 2026 “Recovery in Motion” Conference will be available via the Millennium Forum.

For more information about ARC Fitness, the ‘Rewrite The Story’ campaign or how to get involved, visit ARC Fitness online at: https://arcfitness.uk/