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The Hunter District of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) hosted an information night at Gillieston Heights, bringing together approximately 40 attendees for an evening of discussion, education and supportive conversation. Around 10 Hunter and Newcastle AA members, plus Erin, the PIPA from the Blue Mountains made the evening possible.
A key part of the evening was for each AA member to bring along a ‘relevant’ professional, someone who works with people affected by alcohol dependency or related behaviour, such as medical professionals or community services.
I was the MC for the evening and introduced our two AA guest speakers, to give a personal and firsthand account of their journey. Melissa K and Taxi Brian shared their own stories, both of which were exceptionally well received. A representative from Al-Anon, Dawn, also gave an insight from her perspective on living with an alcoholic. It was clear that the non-AA audience were notably moved by the honesty and frank experiences articulated by these three individuals.
The main event of the evening was the guest speaker, Dr Stephen Jurd, who gave a speech focused on the Cochrane report and its relevance to alcohol dependency. The presentation helped explain evidence and themes around alcohol dependence and how AA can support people who are affected, both directly and indirectly.
After Dr Jurd had spoken, I shared briefly and then opened the floor to questions. It was clear that the presentations, both by Dr Jurd, Melissa and Brian, had stimulated a great deal of interest and, by the end of the night, GPs and other healthcare professionals were speaking with AA members and receiving suggestions on some helpful pathways, that many of the medical attendees had not previously considered. A Q&A session clearly indicated that all the information was positively received.
The event ran for about 2 hours and included catering provided by Nitin and the team. A large fresh finger buffet with lots of tea and coffee to wash it down. It was a great success and aided the flow of more informal conversation.
To further contribute to the information available, both AA and Alanon had tables of literature. The Central Service Office (CSO) handed out the “little big book” to all guests (non-AA participants) as a gift.
Overall, the outcome was a resounding success and achieved its aim of bringing education and connection together, enabling meaningful conversations between AA members and the medical and community professionals. The combination of clear information, respectful, honest sharing, and genuine discussion helped create a strong community feel throughout the night. To date, we have already had three separate doctors and institutions make use of the contacts they gained from the evening!
Monies raised for AA $672.38. This is the final figure after all expenditure counted for.
Belmont BBS
