Everyone enjoys a cheeky tipple from time to time but this October Macmillan Cancer Support are urging people to ditch the drink and ‘Go Sober for October’.
By abstaining from the hard stuff and encouraging donations from supportive pals, you can raise vital funds for Macmillan – nearly £400,000 has been raised already.
Becoming a true sober hero means giving up the drink for the full 31 days of October.
Those 31 days may seem like a long time but Macmillan are offering tips to stay strong during the dry month.
Thinking of the good you’re doing for charity as well as all the health benefits of giving up the booze should help you power through.
As will the chance to receive a ‘Golden Ticket’ from an extra-generous donor which grants you a night off the wagon, although Macmillan remind you that the theme is still more abstinence than absinth!
There are plenty of non-alcoholic alternatives to tempt your taste buds you can try mocktails, alcoholic-free beers and wines or even herbal tea.
With dry bars gaining popularity and everywhere from the swankiest boutique bars to the dirtiest dives offering angelic alternatives to the demon drink, sober October can still be social.
You can band together with friends or work colleagues and take the plunge together as you stay away from the bottle.
In the spirit of good-natured competition, teams are ranked on the go sober website by the amount they’ve raised, meaning you can compete against others to be the best fundraisers.
The current top fundraiser in terms of workplaces is a team of clerks from Fountain Court Chambers who have raised £1,115 so far.
Speaking for the team Richard Evans said: “What Macmillan do is fantastic and needs to be supported and it is important to show support to the victims of cancer and their families.”
Mr Evans also said that they never set out to be the top fundraisers but it is a fantastic feeling having done so.
With the nature of their work and taking clients out for dinner Mr Evans admitted it may be a bit of a struggle to maintain the pledge but it is the something the six members of the team taking part are committed to.
Fundraising aside taking a break from alcohol can have a number of health benefits including increased energy, weight loss and clearer skin.
The caloric intake of alcohol is also surprisingly large and giving it up for a month can only be a good thing.
A pint of beer has 170 calories, the equivalent of a bag of crisps, and a glass of wine has 126 calories, the equivalent of a small chocolate bar.
If you want to donate rather than going sober yourself visit https://www.gosober.org.uk/donate/
But if you want to become a sober hero visit https://www.gosober.org.uk/sign-up/
Picture courtesy of elana’s pantry, with thanks
