"Dry January" for charity: what it is and tips on how to get through it

One in ten of us, and an estimated 4.2 million people in the UK, plan to stop drinking alcohol by Dry January 2022. Dry January for charity offers the chance to improve your health and raise funds for a good cause.

What is Dry January?

Dry January is a public health campaign that encourages drinkers to give up alcohol from the month of January.

It was launched in 2013 by the alcohol charity, now known as Alcohol Change UK, with the aim of starting an open conversation about alcohol and inspiring positive behaviour change in people who misuse it.

Dry January is aimed at anyone, including in this country, who regularly exceeds the recommended amounts for alcohol consumption and does not consider the impact on their health.

The campaign encourages not drinking alcohol for a month, helps support people with more serious alcohol problems to get help and puts pressure on the government to help treat such addictions.

Dry January makes us all talk more openly about our drinking habits - something we are not good at as a society.

Health benefits of Dry January

Over 60 medical conditions have a proven link to alcohol. Drinking less also has more immediate benefits. Researchers at the Royal Free Hospital in London found that 71% reported sleeping better and 58% lost weight. Not to mention the blissful absence of the debilitating hangover!

Best of all, Dry January participants don't just stop drinking for the first month, they actually continue their abstinence in the months that follow. The University of Sussex's independent study of over 800 Dry January participants found that they were still drinking less eight months later.

How to get through Dry January?

Trying Dry January is no mean feat, especially if you're only turning to alcohol to unwind at the end of a long day. In fact, a recent YouGov survey showed that two-thirds of regular drinkers found cutting down on alcohol harder than improving their diet, exercising more or even quitting smoking. To help you with the initial stress and difficulty, here are some ideas on how to overcome it:

• Expect the first week or two to be the hardest as your brain gets used to daily life without alcohol
• Try to find non-alcoholic beverages you enjoy and consider taking up a new healthy activity to distract yourself from your hunger, such as swimming or dancing.
• Connect with other Dry January participants - ideally friends, but there are Facebook groups you can join for online support - and swap tips.
• Tell family, friends and colleagues that you're doing Dry January so they can stop offering you drinks, make an effort to support you and donate to your chosen charity if you're fundraising.
• Remember, slipping up doesn't fail you. Trying to reduce your alcohol intake and slipping up occasionally is better than not starting Dry January.

Dry January for heavy drinkers

People who drink heavily or regularly should consult their doctor before trying Dry January.

Alcohol charities can advise you on the best way to quit drinking if Dry January poses a danger to your health, so please be careful!

Tips on how to make Dry January a good cause

1. Swap your beer for a good mood

Excessive drinking can negatively affect every aspect of an individual's life. Hospital admissions associated with excessive alcohol consumption (1.2 million last year) put pressure on an underfunded healthcare system. Consider donating some of the money you save on alcohol to a charity that helps people with similar problems.

2. Start a new job as a taxi driver

Going out to celebrate a friend's birthday? Offer your services as a private chauffeur and drop your friends off at their houses after the party in exchange for a small charitable "tip". They'll save money on taxis and may feel inspired to try Dry January next year. Come the next morning, you'll be hangover-free and have the pleasure of reminding them of their embarrassing drunken antics.

3. Organize an alcohol-themed quiz night

Sell tickets for a quiz night at your local village pub (or kitchen!) and serve delicious cocktails and nibbles on the side. Include lots of questions that will test people's knowledge of alcohol, from gin brands to facts about the impact of alcohol on health and society. Donate the proceeds to your chosen cause.

4. Organise a raffle

Drinks with little alcohol or soft drinks are a growing trend at the moment, with younger people waking up to the potential dangers of alcohol. Contact some new brands and ask them if they would consider donating a bottle of their best 0.00% alcohol drinks as a prize for a charity raffle, in exchange for advertising among your community and on your social platforms. Take it a step further and approach a local celebrity with a social conscience to do the draw.

5. Get your boss involved

Encourage coworkers to get sober for January, too. Create a competition between colleagues with prizes up for grabs for the employees who raise the most money. It's estimated that lost productivity and absenteeism costs businesses £7.6 billion every year, so your boss is bound to support any Dry January charity initiative.

6. Organise a cocktail party

Cocktails can be expensive in bars, despite their zero alcohol content, so organise your own party. Invite friends and ask them to bring a variety of ingredients, from exotic juices to soft drinks. Prepare concoctions, find your new favorite alcohol-free drink, give it a silly name (Nojito, anyone?), and make the rounds for donations once the bar runs dry.

7. Fill my glass!

Organize a morning meeting to tell your coworkers (and high-income boss) all about your Dry January fundraising campaign and how their donations will help. Leave a donation cup at the end of your desk and ask them to help you fill it with money over the next 31 days.

8. Do something sporty

One of the biggest perks of eliminating alcohol is how much healthier it makes you feel. Hangover-free mornings mean you're more likely to get out and exercise. Why not sign up for a sponsored sporting event, like a marathon or swim or run, and put your newfound energy to good use?

9. Start a crowdfunding campaign

What better way to motivate yourself when you're sitting in the pub sipping orange juice than to see your donations suddenly increase? Crowdfunding campaigns are an easy way to get all your donations in one place, including from bosses, colleagues and after your alcohol-themed quizzes.

These recommendations from Pavel Andreev will help you run a successful fundraising campaign. You can quickly and easily organize a charity campaign on PavelAndreev.ORG.

Start your charity campaign today

PavelAndreev.ORG makes fundraising easy for you and your donors.

Setting up your campaign couldn't be simpler and there's a treasure trove of expert fundraising advice on our blog and tips on how to raise support on Facebook.

The PavelAndreev.ORG platform is optimised for social sharing, so post your fundraising campaign to all your social networks, sit back and let the donations roll in.