The Mary Magdalen Foundation, known to people in recovery as the Sanctuary.  I was introduced to the Sanctuary by my counsellor from APAS and on my first visit he took me there, which I am grateful he did because left to myself I don't think I would have got there.
My name is D*, I am an alcoholic.  It was very early in my recovery that I first went to the Sanctuary, and I was still full of fear and very nervous.  This being new to me I didn't know what to expect and the first thing you have done is an assessment to see what the problem is or to see how far you have come along in recovery.  The staff and volunteers make you very welcome, as I said before, I was very nervous and they put you at ease and don't try to force you into anything you don't feel comfortable with.  They actually understand, some of these people are in recovery themselves, and they know how it is for anyone fairly new in recovery as they have been there themselves.
The Sanctuary doesn't only deal with alcohol addictions it deals with all addictions and family members are welcome too.  I have great admiration for the work these people do.  They have taught me so much in the time I have been going there.  At first I was very quiet, they encouraged me to join in the conversations and gradually I started to get to know more people the more I relaxed. I then went on to do the BIG BOOK STUDY of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, which gave me a better understanding of my illness and about living in the solution, meaning recovery.  There is always someone you can speak to on a one to one basis if you need to and there are other activities you can join in.  They also have an allotment where the clients of the Sanctuary can grow plants and vegetables etc.
In using the Sanctuary it has been my experience that there is loads of support and advice and people make every effort to help where they can and the people you meet there come from all walks of life, sharing their experiences.  These people are people who's recovery range from people just starting recovery to people with years of recovery.
You don't just use the Sanctuary when you have problems, I like to go there to have a chat and coffee with friends because I have made a lot of friends since I started attending the Sanctuary and it is a very safe place to be, you don't have to worry about people coming in drunk causing problems, they do have their rules and if you need a bit of peace and quiet, especially on a nice day there is a garden at the back you can just sit in, that's OK, no one is going to moan at you for having some time to yourself.  It is like having an extended family but only better.  The people you meet there know where you are coming from and are not judgemental.