The Bill Sword Social Bite Recovery Village
Our proposed Recovery Village will bring a dedicated, state-of-the art residential recovery facility to Dundee, helping vulnerable people struggling with addiction to rebuild and transform their lives.
People in the poorest areas are 16 times more likely to die from drug misuse. But it doesn’t have to be this way — we want to build a new kind of Social Bite Village, to support people who can’t afford to pay for private residential rehabilitation services.
This would be a supportive, compassionate community, with 10 modern, sustainable modular homes and a 10-bedroom communal accommodation facility, all surrounded by beautiful landscaping.
At the Village’s centre, a vibrant community hub will bring people together, and be the base for skills training, recovery services and personalised support. Tranquil outdoor spaces will promote relaxation, and wellbeing and exercise facilities will be available for all community members.
We’ll be partnering with a local addiction recovery support provider to roll out structured drug and alcohol addiction recovery programmes on site. With dedicated expert support, the Recovery Village will empower residents to gain independence and build healthier, more fulfilling futures.
A person-centred approach to recovery
The Bill Sword Social Bite Recovery Village puts dignity first. Our aim is to build a hybrid residential recovery community, blending the best of residential recovery facilities with the best of recovery housing.
Residents will progress through a two-phase structured addiction recovery programme within a therapeutic community setting, and we’ll work with a specialist onsite partner to deliver this. Our chosen partner will have expertise in the therapeutic, psychosocial side of the service, while Social Bite will provide general operational and site support management. Working hand-in-hand, we’ll provide a range of health and social care services to support community members in their recovery.
Residents will first live together in communal housing, which is designed to minimise safety risks and potential relapse, whilst offering more intensive support. When they’re ready, residents move on to their own house in the village to prepare for independent living, including practicing budgeting, cooking, and other life skills. Independent residents remain connected to the community by returning to the main hub for socialising, support and wellbeing activities.
Onsite staff and volunteers will provide 24/7 support. Each resident will be guided by a keyworker on their journey, helping them gain independence at their own pace.
Beautiful, sustainable homes
Each home at the Recovery Village is a beautifully designed “nest house” built by Ecosystems Technologies: a compact, energy‑efficient timber mini‑home with its own front door, kitchen, bathroom and living space, arranged around shared green areas for a neighbourhood feel. Big windows bring in sunlight, and leafy pathways will link residents to the community hub and peaceful outdoor spots; a beautiful home can have a profound effect on someone’s wellbeing.
Both the houses and community hub have been built using innovative cross-laminated Scottish timber, making locally sourced wood strong and stable enough for housebuilding. The timber is processed through Scotland’s only vacuum press at the BE-ST factory in Blantyre, then manufactured into complete homes at Ecosystems’ factory in Invergordon using a highly efficient, weather-protected process. The houses have an estimated lifespan of 60 years.
Off-site construction cuts total construction time down to just months. Buildings are made in advance to exact standards and on-site work is reduced to groundworks, before the finished units are delivered, craned into place, and installed on light-touch foundations.
The community hub
The community hub will sit at the heart of the Recovery Village, giving residents a warm, shared space to cook, relax and spend time together.
Equipped with a communal kitchen, social areas, counselling rooms, outdoor decking, and exercise facilities, it will host activities focused on personal growth, training and recovery.
It’s all about helping people build strong relationships, and giving them the confidence to complete their journey to independence.
Help make the Recovery Village happen
Social Bite is working with Dundee City Council, recovery specialists and the community to secure a fantastic location for the Bill Sword Social Bite Recovery Village. Following a comprehensive community consultation with residents living near the proposed village site, designs were modified and two impact assessments were commissioned. We hope to submit planning application this year.
We’re still looking for support to cover the capital costs of the village build. We’re also seeking pro-bono professional support from companies in the construction industry. Could your organisation help?
Honouring Bill Sword
William ‘Bill’ Sword was an inspirational Dundee businessman and philanthropist. In 1999, he set up the WM Sword Charitable Trust with the purpose of helping disadvantaged people in and around Dundee. And now the trust has pledged £1.5 million towards the construction of the Recovery Village.
Beyond business, Bill Sword contributed greatly to Dundee during his time as Justice of the Peace and as Dundee’s first lay Sheriff. Since 1999, his trust has donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to local charities. It was always Bill’s dream, however, that in addition to supporting these smaller organisations, he would be able to spark change on a larger scale in Dundee.
Following Bill’s death, the trustees made it their mission to realise his dream. Having long been inspired by the work of Social Bite — in particular our Edinburgh Village — the trustees recognised the impact such a project could have in Dundee, especially if focussed on addiction recovery. Certain Bill would be proud to see his legacy being used this way, they unanimously agreed to pledge £1.5m to build the Bill Sword Social Bite Recovery Village.
In addition to WM Sword Charitable Trust’s funding pledge, Dundee-based Insights Learning and Development has committed £100,000. Now, we’re seeking further donations and pro-bono support to bring the project to life.
Help us build the new Social Bite Village
Our experience in Edinburgh has shown that a supported accommodation model can break the cycle of homelessness for good.
We need you help to provide the same opportunity in Dundee.
