As the Labour Party Conference continues in Liverpool, we take a look back at the Sober Party we hosted at the start of the week.

Taking Action On Addiction’s Sober Party at the Labour Party Conference 2024

Taking Action On Addiction’s Sober Party at the Labour Party Conference 2024

As the Labour Party Conference continues in Liverpool, we take a look back at the Sober Party we hosted at the start of the week.

On Sunday 22nd September 2024, Taking Action on Addiction, Forward’s campaign to improve understanding of addiction and end the stigma that surrounds it, hosted its very first Sober Party at The Beatles Story Museum in Liverpool.

This formed part of the Labour Party Conference and was attended by dozens of MPs, councillors and party members.

There were some brilliant speeches delivered throughout the night, including one from our Patron Tony Adams, ex-captain of England and Arsenal. Tony spoke about his experiences of being in recovery and how he believes we need to reach out to those who need help, not the other way around.

Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester also spoke about his hopes for reform in government in regards to drug, alcohol and prison services. He discussed his plans to reach more young people who might be struggling with addiction and/or homelessness.

We were especially delighted to hear from Navraj Dhesi who leads No More Pretending, a support group which helps Punjabi families who struggle with alcohol use.

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““It was absolutely fantastic to welcome people from across the country to the first ever sober party at Labour conference. Celebrating recovery, Liverpool and sharing the serious message about the scale and impact addiction has across all communities in the UK. The appetite in the room to do more, to join up services and to make sure that the opportunity for treatment and recovery is available to anyone who needs it was inspiring and we thank everyone for coming.””

Sally Benton, Executive Director of Fundraising & Communications, The Forward Trust

The evening was catered for us by staff from The Brink, the UK’s first-ever ‘dry bar’ based in Liverpool that aims to offer a safe space for those in recovery. They provided a stunning selection of mocktails and delicious snacks – including their famous sausage roll – which went down a treat with those attending.

Musician Lily T also performed a couple of original songs for us, which were brilliant and added to the great atmosphere.

We want to thank everybody who came to support the event, as well as the staff from Forward, The Brink, and The Beatles Story Museum for their time and dedication to making the evening a huge success.