Recovery Capital social impact project
Unleashing potential: driving business innovation through recovery insights
In a world full of complexity the answers we need often lie in places we overlook. At worldXchange we believe that resilience and innovation do not always come from boardrooms; they come from people who have rebuilt their lives. From those who have overcome addiction and found new purpose. People whose lived experience is rich in insight, adaptability and strength.
Imagine a future where the skills honed in adversity shape the workplaces of tomorrow. Where lived experience is recognised as a strength. Where those who have navigated life’s hardest challenges help solve talent shortages, bring fresh thinking and drive change that benefits us all.
To reach that future we need to confront the scale of the challenge. Addiction affects people in every community, including our workplaces, yet its impact often remains hidden by stigma.
57 per cent of UK employees say they have struggled with addiction, whether alcohol, gambling or drugs | (Bupa, 2025)
The overall cost of alcohol harm in England is estimated at £27.44 billion each year, including productivity losses, health care, justice and wider social impacts | (Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2023)
Together, these figures show both the scale of the challenge and the size of the opportunity.
The project: what it is and why it matters
The Recovery Capital social impact project is a UK and Ireland-wide initiative focused on unlocking the strengths, skills and insights of people in addiction recovery - and connecting them with business, policy and community.
People who have rebuilt their lives bring qualities our systems urgently need: resilience, adaptability, leadership, problem-solving and deep system insight. Yet too often stigma and exclusion stand in the way.
This project brings together lived experience and leadership from across sectors: academics, corporate executives, charity directors, entrepreneurs and therapeutic community experts. All united by the goal of turning recovery strengths into social and business value.
We are building something practical:
- A platform for storytelling and systems change
- Learning tools and accreditation pathways
- A space where cross-sector collaboration leads to real-world opportunity
And you can be part of it.
Proof of potential
We launched this project with a powerful first step: a day spent at Coolmine Therapeutic Community in Dublin.
This day brought together business leaders, academics, charity directors, entrepreneurs and people in recovery in one room - not for presentations, but for shared experience.
The aim was simple: to understand addiction recovery from the inside out. To hear stories first-hand. To see the strength it takes to rebuild a life - and the skills that emerge along the way.
What came through wasn’t just understanding. It was a sense of shared purpose — a recognition that recovery builds exactly the qualities our workplaces need:
- Resilience - the strength to keep going
- Leadership - earned through experience
- Adaptability - the ability to thrive in uncertainty
These insights have shaped the project from day one. It showed what is possible when lived experience and institutional power come together.
Join the movement - help shape what comes next 
Membership is how we scale Recovery Capital across the UK. It is more than support. It is investment in resilience, innovation and inclusion. Each level offers a way to engage with the insights and people shaping a recovery-informed future of work.
Every member also receives the Recovery Capital Recognition Mark - a kitemark you can display on your website, LinkedIn or email signature to show your commitment to valuing lived experience as a strength.
Supporter - £100 per month
Stay informed.
Fuel the work.
For individuals, small organisations and community leaders who want to stand with the Recovery Capital movement and keep the project growing.
What you'll receive
- Monthly supporter update with stories, insights and progress
- First access to new content and resources
- Invitation to an annual online supporter briefing and Q&A
- Optional recognition on our supporter page
- Recovery Capital recognition mark for your website or LinkedIn
- Early notice of worldXchange pilot projects and collaboration opportunities
- Cover essential costs that keep learning spaces open and ensure lived experience is included
- Help grow a UK and Ireland wide movement rooted in lived experience
- Support outreach that reduces stigma and makes recovery visible
Partner - £500 per month
Learn, connect, contribute.
Be part of the conversation.
For employers, networks and organisations that want to explore recovery insights, connect across sectors and play an active role in shaping change.
What you'll receive
- All supporter benefits
- Invitation to a project plenary session with cross-sector leaders
- Two exclusive online briefings per year on emerging insights and pilots
- Priority access to take part in pilot projects and workshops
- Recognition as a key partner across our communications
- Support the development of new learning pathways and career opportunities for people in recovery
- Help fund collaboration across business, community and research
- Enable storytelling that reduces stigma and shifts perceptions
- Contribute your perspective to shape solutions with real-world impact
Co-creator – from £15,000*
Your challenges. Our expertise. Co-created solutions.
For funders, institutions and large organisations ready to go beyond involvement and bring their own insights, challenges and expertise into the Recovery Capital project.
What you'll receive
- All supporter and partner benefits
- Two bespoke workshops/ learning sessions co-created with your organisation
- Participation in the annual cross-sector roundtable
- Discounted or priority access to training and events
- Your name and logo featured in key communications
- Opportunities to showcase your organisation’s learning journey as part of the project
- Recovery Capital recognition mark showing your leadership in lived experience inclusion
Your impact:
- Contribute your organisation’s challenges and insights to shape new approaches and tools
- Test recovery-informed models in practice and share results across sectors
- Support co-created learning with diverse communities
- Drive systemic change in leadership, inclusion and innovation across the UK and Ireland
Donate now
Not everyone can commit to membership, but everyone can help power the work.
The worldXchange foundation is creating new paths forward across business, community and public services — not just in recovery, This work only moves if people fuel it. Without funding, the stories stay unheard, the platforms stay empty and the change stalls.
Every donation helps us build more bridges, amplify unheard voices and unlock the potential hidden in plain sight.
Simply scan the QR code and donate. Thank you!
