Sober in the Country is taking its message about alcohol harm national, with a new fundraising campaign aiming to raise $1 million to expand support for rural Australians.
Sober in the Country will launch its month-long campaign, The Big Shout, in February, reframing the familiar Australian tradition of “shouting a mate a drink” into a call to provide practical help for people struggling with alcohol harm in rural and regional communities.
Actor Erik Thomson has signed on as fundraising ambassador, with agricultural leaders and major agribusinesses already backing the campaign.
Founded by former Australian of the Year Local Hero and New England local Shanna Whan, Sober in the Country has spent the past decade challenging entrenched drinking culture in the bush and promoting its #OK2SAYNO message, advocating for social inclusion at rural events for drinkers, non-drinkers and everyone in between.
Whan said The Big Shout was designed to tap into the generosity at the heart of rural mateship.
“We’re appealing to that gorgeous, generous Australian spirit of mateship by asking those who’d typically shout a mate a ‘thank you’ carton or a ‘thinking of you’ bottle of wine without blinking to consider chipping in a virtual shout instead to provide real support,” she said.
“After a decade at this, we know that sometimes a mate just needs a hand, not another drink in their hand. And that’s what this campaign is all about.”
Whan said the organisation was not opposed to drinking in moderation.
“We’re not preachers of prohibition, we’re about mateship, respecting choice and creating real social inclusion at all bush events. We don’t care if someone enjoys a drink in moderation. We care that every rural person respects the choice of someone who can’t drink or chooses not to,” she said.
Thomson said the campaign’s message resonated strongly with him.
“I’m proud to stand behind The Big Shout. It makes a complex topic easy to engage with and supports rural Australians: the people who feed and clothe the nation,” he said.
Over ten years, Sober in the Country has linked alcohol harm with broader challenges facing rural communities, including mental and physical health decline, suicide, bullying, domestic violence, farm safety and isolation.
“Tackling one without acknowledging the others simply isn’t working,” Whan said.
She said demand for the charity’s services was growing rapidly.
“Demand is exploding. We’ve proven what works, and now we need help to scale it. We’re going to need a much, much bigger boat!”
Funds raised through The Big Shout will support online peer networks, connections to vetted services, workplace and community workshops, and advocacy across remote and rural Australia.
Major agricultural organisations including Australian Agricultural Company and Customised Farm Management have pledged support, with AACo CEO David Harris saying the campaign aligned with the company’s commitment to health, mental health and ESG outcomes.
The Big Shout will run nationally throughout February. Find out more on their website https://www.soberinthecountry.org/the-big-shout/
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