RECOVERING drug and alcohol addicts are to be given the chance to run their own forest in the Borders.

The initiative has been organised by conservation charity the John Muir Trust and rehabilitation charity Phoenix Futures in Glenlude.

The Scottish Phoenix Forest will open tomorrow and will effectively be run by volunteers who have beaten, or are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.

The programme, Recovery Through Nature, is based on the principle that working in the outdoors as part of a team can be a powerful way of building self-esteem and confidence for people confronting alcohol and drug addiction.