More than one in four people in the UK are planning to reduce the amount of alcohol they drink this year, according to the charity Alcohol Change.
The north west has the most alarming figures of alcohol dependency in the UK. Government statistics revealed that Liverpool has joined Manchester as one of the most alcohol dependent cities.
However, the city is lucky to be home to The Brink – a community dry bar which assists those struggling with alcohol addictions by providing weekly group therapy sessions where people can share stories and help others.
Lucy McLachlan, the manager at the Brink on Parr Street, told MerseyNewsLive: “The Brink is a space where people can spend time, and meet new people somewhere there is no temptation.”
She explained: “A lot of people lose friends through recovery. It can be hard to still hang out with friends who are still drinking.
“A lot of people associate big things like bank holidays and football tournaments with drinking so we’re showing football, live music, films and thinks like that just to get people out and doing stuff.
“Just providing people with a space where they can do these sorts of things and participate without alcohol being involved”.
The Brink first opened in 2011 as a place where people can refer themselves without having to go through a GP they can just walk in and sign themselves up.
Lucy said: “We help provide them with a network in their addiction, having other people who are going on the same journey with them can make new friends.”
The Brink is open to all and serves a range of non-alcoholic drinks and locally sourced fresh food.
- To find out more about the services on offer at the Brink visit their website here
Featured image (c) Kate Farley
