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Stuart Patterson – Faith, Recovery and Community

From heroin to hope – stories of grace, grit and a God who lifts

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Policy & Public Life

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🏛️ Why This Page?

Policy & Public Theology is a space for reflective essays, real-world policy critiques, and theology that speaks to the margins. From addiction recovery to asylum debates, these pieces challenge, provoke, and offer hope-filled alternatives.

Here you’ll find writing that is informed by lived experience, grounded in research, and shaped by a conviction that faith has a voice in the public square — a voice that should be honest, compassionate, and unafraid to wrestle with difficult questions.

📜 Featured Policy Essays

Structured, referenced, and written from the ground up — where real lives meet real decisions.

  • Real Recovery, Real Lives
    Why our drug policies need more than harm reduction
    [👉 Read Essay]
  • Fairness Has a Postcode
    Asylum housing, postcode politics, and the language of welcome
    [👉 Read Essay]
  • Addiction, MAT, and the Recovery That Never Comes (coming soon)
    A critical theological and practical look at MAT-led policy in Scotland
  • Newsroom Legal & Ethical Guidance
    From privacy law to source protection — a practical guide for journalists, grounded in Scots law and real-world cases
    [👉 Read Essay]

🎙️ Media Commentary & Interviews

Short responses, op-eds, and media critiques based on recent events

  • RADAR July 2025 – Response & Infographic
    What the stats don’t show… but recovery workers know.
    [👉 View Response]
  • A Hopeful Alternative to Supervised Drug Zones

🛠️ Tools for Activists, Pastors & Practitioners

Resources you can use or share in policy conversations

  • Real Recovery – A One-Page Brief
    A Christian-shaped, community-rooted overview of what real recovery looks like today — relational, holistic, hope-filled, and centred on the transforming grace of Jesus Christ. Read online or download the one-page PDF version.
  • The Countdown Is On: Madness, Musos, and Why They’re a National Treasure
    Long before addiction and long after recovery, Madness have been a constant thread—joy, mischief, and a reminder of the life I nearly lost. As the Hydro gig approaches, I reflect on why this band’s genius runs far deeper than their nutty image suggests.
  • Fairness has a Postcode
    From asylum hotels in deprived towns to postcode politics in the press, the UK’s housing of asylum seekers is caught between welcome and weariness. This piece explores why placements are concentrated in struggling areas, how that affects trust, and what can be done to build fairness that works for both host communities and those seeking refuge.
  • Newsroom Legal and Ethical Guidance
    A practical guide to privacy, confidence, source protection, and copyright for Scottish newsroom practice – grounded in law, codes, and real cases.
  • Inhabiting Trauma
    Delia, on the other hand, carries the trauma within her, unable to separate herself from the events.

If you’d like to dive deeper, you can browse the full archive of reflections, articles, and commentary here:
👉 See all Policy & Public Life posts ›

📥 Get Involved or Republish

Want to quote, republish, or discuss a piece?
Email me at stu.patterson@gmail.com or visit the [Resources] page for more.

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