When Chris Sylvester was just 12 years old, he was introduced to heroin in a toilet cubicle at school. The next 26 years saw him in active drug addiction, in and out of prison, hospitals and homelessness.'It was a nightmare existence,’ says Sylvester, ‘Back then I felt lost, lonely and isolated. The drugs made up my personality, they made up my identity.’Looking back, Sylvester recognises that his drug abuse has affected his youth and stunted his development, but it wasn’t until 2017, at 36 years old, that he began his recovery journey. And, says Sylvester, that was completely unintentional. Chris Sylvester was first introduced to heroin at aged 12 in a toilet cubicle at school.Having been released from prison with license conditions (an early release from prison while remaining under strict supervision) just shortly after losing his father, Sylvester continued to use drugs; injecting them into his groin which resulted in a subsequent infection that threatened both his leg and life.‘My legs swelled up and I couldn’t walk. I was in absolute agony,’ he says. ‘I thought I was going to lose my leg at the very least, or potentially die.’And yet Sylvester made a full recovery from the infection, after which his probation officer suggested that a recovery programme might offer him a better chance at rehabilitation than finishing his sentence in prison.It was a suggestion that has saved Sylvester's life. Finding a group of peers that he could identify with during this 12-step recovery programme was life-changing.He says, ‘That support and a like-minded community that understands you is paramount, it's the most important thing in remaining abstinent.’'I’d never had the ability to be honest and face up to my feelings,' he says. 'I constantly avoided that through using substances.’Having now recovered, Sylvester has transformed his 26 years of active drug addiction into support for other recovering addicts, helping them to access peer support and career opportunities. Getting Clean runs voluntary, community-focussed activities such as litter picking.His community-organisation, Getting Clean, was first started as a group focused on peer support and voluntary community action, with members engaging in everything from litter picking to repair jobs for the elderly. ‘I realised that I could reach people that professionals can’t. People were willing to sit down and speak with me because they knew I had the same experiences as them and they trusted me.’ Sylvester is also clear on the importance that allowing those in recovery to redefine themselves as assets to their community has or their self-esteem.‘As an organisation we are focused on empowerment and allowing people to understand that they are assets to the community.’ He says, ‘It’s changing the public perception but also the way they see themselves.’The organisation has since developed into a business, with Sylvester outlining that raising funds from grants alone proved difficult. Producing soap was quite literally a shower thought for Sylvester, ‘I had a shower one day and realised that I could help people get clean with soap.’The operation started in his mum’s kitchen and Sylvester now operates a small factory to produce the soap. Founder Chris Sylvester will sit for 60 hours straight in a bath tub to raise funds.The soap itself is 100 percent naturally derived, cold-pressed and free from chemicals, marketed as recovery for your skin as well as supporting those recovering from addiction. Fragrances include sandalwood and pine needle, orange and patchouli, and lemon grass and sweet orange.Beyond donating 50 percent of their profit to charities supporting those in recovery, six of Getting Clean’s ten employees are themselves recovering addicts, demonstrating first-hand Sylvester’s conviction in the importance of supporting recovering addicts with finding employment.Getting Clean’s next venture will see its founder spend 60 hours straight in a bath tub in Leeds City Square this weekend. Livestreamed on social media platforms like TikTok, the ‘Tubtrap’ is a campaign effort to sell £50,000 of soap. Sylvester hopes to donate £20,000 of the money raised to fund a collaborative project the organisation is running with Leeds City Council, to fund a lived experience recovery project.