Believe in People – Details, episodes & analysis

In this energising and unfiltered conversation, we meet Henry Beercock, founder of Hull’s growing sober movement Alcohull Free. After nearly two decades of heavy binge drinking, Henry made a bold decision: he gave up alcohol, left his corporate career, and radically transformed his life from the inside out.

What followed was more than personal recovery, it was the beginning of a cultural shift. Alcohull Free was built for people who are tired of drinking culture but still want to connect, socialise, and celebrate without compromise. It’s a movement that challenges outdated ideas about sobriety and creates space where being alcohol-free is something to take pride in. This is not about restriction, it’s about reclaiming joy, energy, and freedom.

This episode is for anyone exploring sobriety, rethinking their relationship with alcohol, or seeking new ways to connect - this is a conversation that could change everything.

Join the sober rebellion

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us.

🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it.

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com

This is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone.

📩 Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

🔗 Listen & Subscribe
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew

Apple Music x Believe in People: A Classical Connections Feature

In this special collaboration, Believe in People host Matthew Butler is featured on Classical Connections, the Radio Academy Award-winning podcast hosted by renowned pianist and composer Alexis Ffrench. 

Originally broadcast on Apple Music, this episode forms part of the acclaimed 60-Second Sonata segment, where Alexis listens to a personal story and responds by composing a bespoke piece of music. Inspired by Butler’s reflections on trauma, addiction, and hope, Ffrench created a new original composition titled “Believe” - a piano piece that captures the emotional gravity of the conversation.

In the conversation, Butler traces the origins of the Believe in People podcast and shares how his perceptions of addiction were transformed by speaking with hundreds of individuals in recovery. What emerges is an honest and sometimes difficult exploration of what leads people to substance use, the deeply personal nature of "rock bottom," and the power of simply listening without judgement. 

In a generous move to help expand the conversation around recovery, Apple Music has donated both the composition “Believe” and the full interview audio for wider use within the recovery community.

Full Series below ⬇️
🔗 apple.co/ClassicalConnections

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us.

🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it.

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com

This is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone.

📩 Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

🔗 Listen & Subscribe
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew

In this powerful transatlantic collaboration, Believe in People host Amy Goldberg welcomes our UK counterpart Matt Butler into the guest seat alongside special guest host Caitlin Morrison - sister of the late Matthew Perry and driving force behind the Matthew Perry Foundation - for a deeply personal conversation on recovery, resilience, and legacy. Together, they explore how storytelling dismantles stigma, how lived experience shapes advocacy, and how one man’s journey - from working behind the scenes in addiction services to becoming a podcast host - reflects a broader mission to inspire hope and change. 

Learn more about the hosts and their work:

• Believe in People America by Amy Goldberg: Push Back Productions | Instagram
• Caitlin Morrison and the Matthew Perry Foundation: Foundation Website | LinkedIn
• Believe in People: Spotify | YouTube

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us.

🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it.

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com

This is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone.

📩 Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

🔗 Listen & Subscribe
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew

 Matt sits down with ultramarathon runner Tom Fitzsimons, whose extraordinary journey from alcohol addiction to running 3,073 miles across the U.S. in 100 days is a powerful testament to human resilience. Through candid storytelling, Tom shares how running became his lifeline—a way to reclaim identity, process trauma, and inspire others. From training in front of a fireplace to surreal encounters on America’s loneliest highways, he reflects on the emotional toll of addiction, the healing power of movement, and the strangers who shaped his path. This episode challenges stigma and celebrates recovery, reminding us that purpose can be found in even the most painful places. 

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us.

🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it.

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com

This is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone.

📩 Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

🔗 Listen & Subscribe
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew

 In the second part of this powerful two-part episode, Matt continues his conversation with Sarah Hicks as she reflects on her journey through trauma, justice, and recovery. Sarah shares her experience of surviving sexual assault and the lasting psychological impact it had on her life, speaking with unflinching honesty about the systemic barriers she faced in seeking justice. As she recounts the challenges within legal and investigative systems, Sarah also highlights her transformation into a passionate advocate, working with the Violence Against Women and Girls Independent Advisory Group and serving as a lived experience coordinator. This episode is a sobering and inspiring exploration of resilience, reform, and the vital role of survivor-led advocacy. 

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us.

🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it.

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com

This is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone.

📩 Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

🔗 Listen & Subscribe
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew

 In this in-depth two-part episode, Matt sits down with Sarah Hicks for a raw and reflective conversation that spans addiction, trauma, abusive relationships, grief, and recovery. Sarah opens up about her early experiences with substance use, the damaging effects of coercive control, and the emotional toll of loss and abandonment. Together, they explore how generational patterns, societal norms, and codependency shaped her understanding of love and self-worth. With honesty and insight, Sarah shares her path through pain, the complexities of motherhood, and her eventual journey toward healing and transformation. This episode offers a deeply nuanced look at the intersection of addiction, mental health, family dynamics, and stigma—and what it means to reclaim your life on your own terms. 

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us.

🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it.

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com

This is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone.

📩 Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

🔗 Listen & Subscribe
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew

Matt speaks with Zoe, whose powerful story charts a path through substance misuse, undiagnosed ADHD, and trauma toward recovery and renewal. Growing up in an environment where drug use was normalised, Zoe began using cannabis at 12, later turning to alcohol, pills, and toxic relationships as coping mechanisms. She reflects on the pressures of working in high-stress kitchens, where substance use was embedded in the culture, and shares how a domestic violence incident and the temporary loss of contact with her child became a life-altering turning point. Through therapy, self-reflection, and support, Zoe has begun to break intergenerational cycles and reclaim a future for herself and her son. This candid conversation offers a nuanced look at how addiction is often rooted in trauma and mental health, and why compassion and comprehensive support are crucial to lasting recovery. 

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us.

🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it.

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com

This is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone.

📩 Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

🔗 Listen & Subscribe
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew

 What happens when the highs of the music industry collide with the depths of addiction? In this compelling episode, Matt speaks with Chris Tait - keyboardist for Electric Six and founder of Passenger Recovery - about his journey from self-destruction to community-driven transformation. Chris reflects on his teenage use of alcohol as a coping tool, the culture of excess that permeates the music industry, and the pivotal moments that led him to seek recovery. Now the founder of Passenger Recovery, a Detroit-based organisation supporting musicians and creatives in sobriety, Chris channels his lived experience into advocacy, peer support, and purpose-led action. The episode also spotlights Metropolis Records: A Call to Action, a campaign honouring the late Dave Heckman by raising funds to help musicians in recovery. Chris’s story is a powerful reminder that behind the glamour of the stage, real people struggle—and healing begins when we start to talk about it. 

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us.

🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it.

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com

This is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone.

📩 Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

🔗 Listen & Subscribe
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew

Matt jumps straight in at the deep end as Shev opens up about the weight of adult responsibilities thrust upon her from a young age, including becoming a mother at just 17. In this heartfelt and unflinching conversation, Shev reflects on the emotional wounds of abandonment, the complexity of family relationships, and how addiction quietly took hold while working in the pub industry. She challenges the stigma of single motherhood and shares her determination to rewrite her narrative, finding strength through community, family support, and the rising sober movement. This episode is a powerful exploration of identity, resilience, and how recovery can pave the way for a brighter, more empowered future. 

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us.

🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it.

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com

This is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone.

📩 Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

🔗 Listen & Subscribe
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew

Join Matt for a gripping and emotional conversation with Tom, a former talent agent whose high-flying lifestyle in central London masked a devastating struggle with cocaine addiction. Tom recounts the harrowing moment he realised he was using drugs while bringing his new-born daughter home - a wake-up call that forced him to confront the grip addiction had on his life. Reflecting on his own childhood, Tom explores the psychological toll of drug-induced psychosis, self-blame, and the destructive cycle of addiction. With honesty and vulnerability, he shares the painful road to recovery, from despair and relapse to the intervention that led him to rehab and healing. At its heart, Tom’s story is one of redemption - highlighting the power of empathy, the necessity of support, and the unwavering drive to reconnect with what matters most. 

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us.

🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it.

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com

This is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone.

📩 Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

🔗 Listen & Subscribe
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew