Cat Sims: Not so smug now about alcohol

Trina Gulliver MBE is ten times world darts champion. But drinking nearly ended her career. Her sport did not disappoint her, though - with the help of Sporting Chance, the charity founded by Ex-footballer Tony Adams, she got the help she needed to make a comeback.In this week's episode of The Next Round, we find that what comes next may be more of what you did before - you just may do it a little differently. And why not? If you were good at something, how great might you be now that you have relegated alcohol to the benches? Trina Gulliver is a champion at darts - a sport that has its roots in the great British boozer. Her drinking crept up slowly over time, but an intervention from Sporting Chance was nearly too late. She shares what happened to her and how even she is surprised she is playing again. You can find more about Trina and where she plays next on @trinagoldengirl and www.trina-gulliver.comYou can find out more about Sporting Chance at www.sportingchanceclinic.com - they help with all addictions and mental health for anyone during or following their career in sport.

Helen Tomlinson is the UK's menopause champion, a role she does alongside her full-time job. And in this episode of the next round, she shares her experience of quitting alcohol during menopause.Like any sales industry, alcohol has traditionally been a big part of the recruitment sector.But as she got older, Helen was feeling the effects of alcohol more. She decided to knock it on the head. Welcome to the next round. Stories from people who have changed their drink habits for good and what they did next. None of us know what opportunities are ahead, but it is far easier to find them and seize them if you are not hung over.Helen is Head of Talent (UK & Ireland) at The Adecco Group and introduced a workplace policy on menopause and ended up with a national advocacy role - something she never expected but a challenge she is passionate about - luckily, she has the energy to do it. You can connect with Helen Tomlinson on LinkedinAnd don't forget to visit us at the Tasting Room in Covent Garden - Look at our gift boxes and cards for Christmas inspiration. Find out more and buy drinks from joinclubsoda.com and @joinclubsoda Join us next week for more inspirational stories.

Running a hospitality venue is stressful - but Hari saw the benefits of quitting drinking really quickly. She has now kitted out a horse box to take her hotel's incredible drinks range to events and festivals. She just has to get through the door first!Welcome to the next round. In this series, we talk to people who have changed their drinking to find out what they did next, from new hobbies and challenges to completely changing careers. What you do next is the exciting bit that comes when alcohol no longer plays such a pivotal role in your life.Today we talk to Hari Fell from South Wales. She is taking her hospitality know-how out on the road. She is supporting and challenging festivals to offer more choices when it comes to drinks. She knows that showing casing a great alcohol-free range is essential for events and their customers. She can prove it as she has totally changed the drinks menu in her hotel. Hari mentioned three things that stop festivals from having good alcohol-free choices at their events:  Sponsorship or deals with big bars or sponsors mean they won't let another bar in - despite the fact she is doing something completely different. Those big bars have poor choices. They don’t have an application route for an offer between soft drinks and an alcohol bar.And they charge based on alcohol sales, not alcohol-free sales, making it hard for alcohol-free bars to afford to attend. You can find and book a room at Hari’s hotel by visiting Tudorfarmhouse.Co.uk or find out more about her bar and cocktail boxes at Nolococktails.co.uk or here on Instagram.If you work in hospitality and need help because you are in hardship or for support with drinking, other addictions or talking therapies, then contact The Drinks Trust. TheDrinksTrust.org.ukAnd don't forget to visit us at the Tasting Room in Covent Garden - we offer private tasting to match you with your perfect alcohol-free drinks. Find out more and buy drinks from joinclubsoda.com and @joinclubsoda Join us next week for more inspirational stories.

Lucy got to the point where she was finally ready to change her drinking - but she laid her personal development groundwork first. Changing her drinking gave Lucy the confidence she needed to share her art and build a community. Welcome to the next round. Where we discover what people did next after knocking booze on the head, from trying fun challenges to complete life changes - people ended up in unexpected places. There is a next round out there for all of us.Lucy Sheffield spent eight years working on where she wanted to be. Building layers of confidence and self-awareness. The last stage was to quit drinking. But her journey did not end there.  You can find more about Lucy @sheffieldlucy lucysheffieldart.co.ukAnd don't forget to visit us at the Tasting Room in Covent Garden - we offer private tasting to match you with your perfect alcohol-free drinks. Find out more and buy drinks from joinclubsoda.com and @joinclubsoda Join us next week for more inspirational stories.

It’s like Piers Burnell is 21 again. He is always busy with new creative projects. But when he tried his hand at stand-up comedy - he did not do that alone. And he is passionate about everyone finding what they love once they have given up booze.In this week's episode of the Next Round, meet Piers Burnell: Radio Marlow presenter, drama teacher and aspiring stand-up. You can also catch him dancing in a flashy jacket at House of Happiness. Changing drinking has been like a creative energy shot to him, and he is happy to bring others along for the ride - because he is very lovely! Find Piers on Instagram @whatmrbsees and tune into Radio Marlow for his Eclectic Music show.

Ex-professional athlete and restauranteur Justin Bone hit rock bottom. But you wouldn't know that to hear him now. He has new business ideas aplenty. Justin is a man on a mission. Fitness was at the core of his recovery, but it was his excitement for business and new ideas that kept him going. In this episode of the Next Found, he talks about his lowest point, how he recovered and how to start a business.You can find out more about Justin on @supersober.life.

Ellie Gibson is a journalist, broadcaster and comedian. And yes, she explored her drinking habits by sharing her story with special guests, on a podcast. One half of Scummy Mummies, Ellie has been podcasting for over ten years. But what made her reflect on her changing drinking? In this episode, we talk wrestling names, drinking and podcasting. Some tough rules have helped her discover there are benefits to reducing drinking. She shares them with us and talks about what has happened since she moderated her drinking.Scummy Mummies are on tour and they have more dates coming up across the country in 2023 and 2024 - you can find the dates on scummymummies.com and on @scummymummies

George Anderson has been into fitness all his life. He has even made a career from it. But it wasn't until his late thirties he finally realised quitting alcohol was the missing piece of his performance goals. The aspect he found the hardest was socialising - but just like fitness - practice makes perfect. Host of the Next Round, Laura Willoughby, went to the same university as George, just a few years apart. Back in the 90s, Loughborough University was a big sporting university with a heavy drinking culture. George leant into his passion for fitness when he graduated and has had an amazing career inspiring others. He quit drinking over six years ago. Follow George's YouTube channel  A bit of a boost, and visit his website and Instagram.

In the latest episode of the Next Round, Laura meets Ben Tuff. Ben may not have swum much as a kid, but he recently completed a  21-mile swim around Jamestown, something he would never have done if he had not quit drinking in 2012.Ben Tuff was a teacher, father, husband and secret drinker. Swimming long distances became his thing, and Matt Corliss chronicled Ben’s journey to sobriety in the film, “Swim Tuff: How I Swam my Way Out of the Bottle", which is currently touring festivals and screenings in the US. You can find Ben on swimtuff.com and @ben.tuff on Instagram. 

In the latest episode of The Next Round, Laura talks to Emma Baron, one third of the day club House of Happiness.Emma reached back to her teenage passion when she gave up drinking - but it took some suggestion from a therapist to get her there.Understanding that she dealt with her emotions through alcohol was another key factor in helping her quit. But how did she get from a music-mad, drum-playing teenager to someone who had to refind her passion for clubbing and music without alcohol literally, and how did that lead her, with friends Janey and Neil, to set up a sober day club?When you open the door to The House of Happiness,  you'll find a flamboyant alcohol and drug-free clubbing experience that invites everyone.  You can find them on Instagram here. Their one-year birthday party is on Saturday 7th October.