Getting Clean: Soaps made by recovering Leeds addicts will raise rehab funds for others

Now five years clean himself, Getting Clean founder Christopher Sylvester set out to create an organisation that would unite people in recovery and help them to find purpose and friendship while giving back to the community and the environment. "This is a mutual aid group, we share our experiences,” he said. “We concentrate a day at a time on getting clean and being the best version of ourselves.”

To achieve its environmental goals, Getting Clean established links with the Green Party and, in particular, Coun Ed Carlisle so that they could identify deprived areas across Leeds which the members could turn into wildflower meadows.

The organisation also takes on other community activities such as litter picking, repairs and recycling, but its new initiative of soap making has been a goal from the very beginning, said Christopher. He added: "All products we use are natural. We are aiming to join the circular economy and are sourcing local goods. We always try to focus on the environment and reducing our carbon footprint."

This new initiative is only a stepping stone and Christopher wants to create a community interest company that eventually offers pathways into employment. He said the soap making sessions are already proving beneficial for the members and attract 10 to 20 people per session. “It gives them a purpose,” he said. “They manufacture something which in turn contributes to someone else’s rehabilitation.”

Getting Clean has currently sold two batches of soap. A percentage of profits from those sales has gone towards helping people to access rehabilitation, in honour of Christopher’s friend, Scott David Hacking, who passed away as a result of his addiction in September 2021.

"He is a big factor behind what we do,” Christopher said. “This is a legacy for him. We want to change the perception of addiction. We want to be the voice for recovery so people feel confident to ask for help.”

The company holds its soap making session at the Dewsbury Road branch of St Luke’s Care, which has also helped Getting Clean to raise funds. Christopher invites anyone to get involved and to find out more by emailing [email protected] or making contact through social media.