‘Sober October’ would be a ‘kick in the teeth’ for pubs

Publicans have urged a cancer charity to ditch its “Sober for October” campaign amid fears it will damage already ailing businesses.

The fundraiser by Macmillan Cancer Support encourages members of the public to forego alcohol for the month of October. But pubs, which were forced to shut their doors during lockdown, have criticised the charity, claiming that the initiative discourages business.

The British Beer & Pub Association recently warned that four in 10 pubs could be forced to shut for good.

Richard Hammond, landlord of the Queen’s Head pub, in Ampthill, Beds, said: “This is crazy. I have never heard anything so barmy.

“My regulars are great supporters of Macmillan, and we’ve raised thousands of pounds for them over the years with collections and our annual Pie Festival.

“But this is a kick in the teeth for publicans like me coming soon after the lockdown. We need people going back to the pub not having a silly Sober October.”

Ash Corbett-collins, commercial and communications director at the Campaign for Real Ale said: “A pub is for life, not just for Christmas. So if you want to be there in December, then you need to keep going in October.

“Moderate drinking can be part of a healthy lifestyle. And it’s a fairly good industry that supports a lot of people without causing problems. Perhaps they should be encouraging people to go meat-free in October given the impact of obesity and the poor practices parts of that industry employ.”

Peterborough branch member Michael Holmes added: “Our industry is struggling enough as it is without

‘Coming so soon after lockdown, we need people going back to the pub, not a silly Sober October’

events like this. This is the same organisation that has collection boxes in many pubs and has bucket collections at beer festivals.”

On its website, Macmillan said the fundraiser “will help to make sure Macmillan can continue being there for the millions of people living with cancer in the UK”.

“And you’re not just helping others, you’re helping yourself, too. Having a break from alcohol has great health benefits, such as having more energy, a clearer head and sleeping better, plus no hangovers,” it adds.