Where might you start?
Answer five quick questions and we'll suggest which pathway may be useful to explore first. There are no right or wrong answers.
A guide, not a clinical assessment.What would help most right now?
What are you looking for more of?
What would you most like to build?
Which kind of opportunity feels most useful?
What would you most like to feel?
RESET, CONNECT, LEARN and THRIVE overlap. You may find more than one pathway useful, and your starting point can change as you move forward.
Sobriety.
A VERY FRUITFUL JOURNEY.
Tap a team member to read more about their story, experience and role at The Sober Bar London.
Foyez Jitu CEO & Founding Director
Foyez founded The Sober Bar London from lived experience of homelessness, addiction, recovery and rebuilding, and from a belief that connection should not disappear when substances do.
Born at Newham General Hospital in East London, Foyez grew up British Bangladeshi, Muslim and gay. At 19, after coming out, he experienced estrangement and homelessness — a period of quiet instability, quiet fear and quiet survival.
Homelessness was not only about losing somewhere to live. It also meant losing stability, routine and a sense of belonging. During that period, drugs and chemsex became part of his life.
His substance use included GHB and crystal methamphetamine, and he became addicted to crystal methamphetamine. Injecting became a turning point in recognising how far things had gone.
Recovery became a process of rebuilding his life, relationships and stability. The support and encouragement of his partner also became an important part of that journey.
Foyez is sober from drugs and chemsex. Alcohol was not his addiction, and he currently drinks alcohol in moderation while continuing to explore his own relationship with alcohol and alcohol-free experiences.
His British Bangladeshi and Muslim background also shapes his understanding of the additional stigma that can surround conversations about sexuality, drugs, addiction, chemsex and alcohol.
Foyez has worked in support roles helping people with housing, benefits, employment and the practical steps involved in rebuilding stability.
He is currently training in Recovery and Wellbeing Coaching at the University of Derby, developing skills he hopes to use to support people in recovery.
His roleAs CEO and Founding Director, Foyez leads the development of The Sober Bar London, its mission, partnerships and community — building the community before the walls.
Kevin Hailey Advisory Director · Events & Venues Lead
Kevin brings more than 30 years of experience in London's property industry alongside lived experience of ongoing recovery from alcohol and drugs.
As a self-employed estate agent, his professional experience includes negotiation, marketing, complex transactions, communication and relationship-building.
Kevin has also organised sober LGBTQ+ events and understands the importance of creating social opportunities where alcohol and drugs do not need to be at the centre.
He has seen the impact of alcohol, drugs and chemsex within the gay community and has lost friends whose lives were taken far too soon.
Those experiences strengthen his commitment to creating alternatives where friendship, connection and belonging can develop without substances having to be part of the experience.
His roleAs an Advisory Director and Events & Venues Lead, Kevin brings together his property experience, understanding of venues and experience of sober LGBTQ+ events to help develop our events and explore spaces for the future.
Kinga Sawras Advisory Director · Safeguarding & Policies Lead
Kinga is 24 and based in Nottingham, where she works full-time as a support worker. Outside work, she enjoys concerts, hiking and spending time with her lurcher, Rocky.
She studied criminology at university and brings her own lived experience of choosing sobriety after experiencing binge drinking alongside difficulties with her mental health.
Loneliness was one of the challenges she experienced, and it became part of the motivation behind creating Girls Gone Sober.
Through Girls Gone Sober, Kinga has helped create alcohol-free opportunities for women and LGBTQ+ people in Nottingham who are sober, sober-curious or simply interested in connecting without alcohol being the focus.
What began online has developed into in-person community activity, including poetry nights and events around Dry January and International Women's Day.
Her work as a support worker also gives her experience of responsibility, boundaries and the importance of creating environments where people can participate without feeling judged.
Kinga believes safe, inclusive sober spaces should be available to people at different stages, including people who may not be ready for or looking for formal recovery services.
Her roleAs an Advisory Director and Safeguarding & Policies Lead, Kinga helps develop and review safeguarding and organisational policies as the CIC grows, helping keep safety, inclusion, clear expectations and responsible practice at the heart of the community.
Loulou Jones Admin Lead (Volunteer)
Loulou is 29, autistic, and joined The Sober Bar London because she was drawn to an organisation creating opportunities for people who may not have been able to work before or who have experienced long periods of unemployment.
Having previously been unable to work because of mental health struggles including anxiety and agoraphobia, Loulou saw the role as an opportunity to begin her own journey towards employment.
She was also drawn to being able to help with the everyday running of the organisation while giving something back to the community.
Loulou wants to develop her knowledge through practical experience and training, including everyday administrative responsibilities such as making appointments, organising information and taking notes in meetings.
The role is also an opportunity to build both professional and personal confidence through responsibility and working alongside other people.
Loulou believes everyone should be able to have a safe and accepting space regardless of how they identify, their backstory or the experiences they have been through.
For her, community also creates opportunities to meet people with similar experiences, support one another and simply make friends.
Her roleAs our volunteer Admin Lead, Loulou supports the practical day-to-day administrative work behind The Sober Bar London while continuing to build experience, skills and confidence.
Surina Bining Marketing Assistant (Volunteer)
Surina is passionate about using her experiences and skills to make a positive difference in her community.
She was drawn to The Sober Bar London because of its aim to create safe, inclusive alcohol-free spaces where people can connect, build friendships and feel accepted without pressure or judgement.
Being on her own recovery journey from anorexia, Surina understands how important compassionate communities and supportive environments can be when rebuilding confidence and wellbeing.
After being unable to work for four years due to anorexia, the role gives Surina an opportunity to continue building her confidence while developing practical marketing skills.
She has experience in marketing and content creation and has created her own online space within the eating disorder recovery community.
Surina wants to contribute her creativity and enthusiasm while continuing to learn, develop her skills and work alongside other people within a community-led organisation.
She believes sober and inclusive spaces can reduce isolation, challenge stigma and give people opportunities to socialise, volunteer, learn and build meaningful relationships without alcohol being the focus.
For Surina, everyone deserves spaces where they can be themselves, feel respected and build confidence without fear of judgement.
She believes conversations, events and even a welcoming smile can help somebody feel less alone.
Her roleAs a volunteer Marketing Assistant, Surina supports marketing, social media, content and digital communications, helping more people discover the community and feel welcomed, valued and encouraged to take part.
James Nunn Marketing Assistant (Volunteer)
James joined The Sober Bar London because he believes people should have spaces where they can feel welcomed and included without pressure around alcohol or drugs.
The idea of a sober bar interested him because it offers something different: another way for people to socialise, connect and enjoy themselves.
James believes that for his generation alcohol is not always as central to socialising as it may have been for previous generations, and that people should have more options when going out.
For him, The Sober Bar London demonstrates that people can still have fun, meet others and be part of a community without alcohol needing to be involved.
Alongside his interest in the mission, James saw volunteering as an opportunity to develop his skills in content creation, social media and digital marketing.
He has previous digital marketing experience from an internship, where he mainly focused on website management using CMS platforms.
James also has experience managing social media pages across X, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook.
He is particularly interested in creating social media graphics using Canva and Adobe Express, as well as continuing to develop his video editing skills using tools such as CapCut.
James believes social media can help people discover new spaces, connect with others and feel part of something meaningful.
His roleAs a volunteer Marketing Assistant, James supports marketing, social media and content creation, helping more people discover The Sober Bar London and the idea that socialising does not have to revolve around alcohol.
Select a person to read more about their story, experience and role at The Sober Bar London.
Different experiences. Different skills. One shared commitment to building more welcoming ways to connect.
Foyez Jitu
CEO & Founding Director
Director • Lived Experience • Recovery & Wellbeing Coach in Training
Foyez founded The Sober Bar London from a personal understanding of homelessness, addiction, recovery and rebuilding — and from a belief that surviving something difficult should not mean having nowhere to belong afterwards.
Turning lived experience into somewhere people can belong.
Foyez Jitu is the founder and CEO of The Sober Bar London. His reasons for creating it are rooted in his own experiences of homelessness, addiction, recovery and rebuilding a life after crisis.
A British Bangladeshi Muslim gay man from East London, Foyez came out as gay at 19. Family estrangement followed and he experienced homelessness during a period he describes as quiet instability, quiet fear and quiet survival.
Homelessness was not only about where he slept. It also brought a deeper sense of social homelessness: being disconnected from family, stability, community and the feeling of having somewhere to belong.
During this period, drugs and chemsex became part of his life. Foyez developed an addiction to crystal methamphetamine alongside the use of other substances within chemsex, including GHB.
His substance use eventually progressed to injecting drugs, which became a significant turning point in recognising how far things had gone and that something needed to change.
Recovery was not simply about stopping drugs. It meant rebuilding relationships, confidence, routine, identity, stability and purpose.
It also exposed another problem. When the chaos begins to disappear, the spaces, friendships and routines connected to it can disappear too.
Foyez became increasingly interested in what comes next: what are people supposed to build after they have survived?
His own experience taught him that recovery can involve much more than removing a substance or behaviour. People also need friendship, confidence, routine, opportunity, laughter and places where they can participate in ordinary social life.
Foyez's relationship with alcohol is different from his history with drugs. Alcohol was not his addiction and did not affect his life in the way drugs and chemsex did.
He currently drinks alcohol in moderation and does not describe himself as being in recovery from alcohol. His experiences have, however, made him much more conscious of the role alcohol can play in social culture and of how difficult it can be to find meaningful connection when someone wants an alcohol-free option.
For Foyez, an alcohol-free space is therefore not about judging people who drink. It is about giving people another choice.
Before founding The Sober Bar London, Foyez also gained frontline support experience helping people with practical issues including housing, benefits and employment, supporting people as they worked towards greater stability and independence.
He is currently training in Recovery and Wellbeing Coaching at the University of Derby to further develop how he can support people within
Kevin Hailey
Advisory Director
Director • Events & Venues Lead
Kevin brings together more than 30 years of experience in the London property industry, his own ongoing recovery and experience organising sober LGBTQ+ events to help shape The Sober Bar London's events programme and approach to venues.
Creating spaces where connection does not have to revolve around alcohol or drugs.
Kevin Hailey is an Advisory Director and Events & Venues Lead for The Sober Bar London.
His involvement brings together lived experience, community work and more than three decades of professional experience in London's property industry.
Kevin's own relationship with alcohol and drugs has shaped both his personal life and the direction he now takes within the community.
Like many people within LGBTQ+ spaces, he experienced social environments where drinking and substance use could feel deeply embedded in how people met, connected and spent time together.
Kevin is in ongoing recovery from alcohol and drugs and continues to recognise recovery as an active, continuing part of his life.
His experiences also highlighted something that became increasingly important to him: when somebody chooses sobriety or begins changing their relationship with substances, finding somewhere to socialise and connect can become much harder.
Rather than accepting that lack of choice, Kevin began organising and hosting sober LGBTQ+ social events across London.
These events created environments where people could meet, talk, form friendships and enjoy themselves without the expectation that alcohol or drugs had to be part of the experience.
Seeing people arrive unsure or disconnected and leave feeling included, valued and uplifted reinforced Kevin's belief in how important these spaces can be.
Kevin is also deeply concerned about the impact of alcohol, drugs and chemsex within parts of the gay community.
He has lost friends whose lives ended far too soon, and those experiences have strengthened his commitment to helping create more alternatives for connection, friendship and belonging.
Alongside his lived and community experience, Kevin has worked for more than 30 years in the London property industry as a self-employed estate agent.
His professional work involves strategic thinking, negotiation, marketing, managing complex transactions, relationship-building and communication.
He brings that experience to The Sober Bar London both in developing events and identifying suitable venues, as well as supporting the longer-term ambition of creating a permanent alcohol-free community space.
For Kevin, the mission is about more than removing alcohol from a venue. It is about showing that people can still belong, connect and enjoy social life without alcohol or drugs.
I see the impact of alcohol, chemsex and drugs in the gay community as an urgent crisis. I have lo
Tamsin Selbie
Advisory Director
Director • Marketing & Publications Lead
Tamsin brings together lived experience of sobriety with nearly a decade in journalism, media and storytelling, helping shape how The Sober Bar London communicates, tells stories and talks about recovery.
My sobriety journey and why I'm here.
My sobriety journey began in 2022, when I realised alcohol was consuming too much of my life and I was using it in a way that had become negative for me.
For a long time, I found it difficult to imagine connecting with people socially without having a drink in my hand.
Over time, I came to the conclusion that alcohol simply wasn't adding anything positive to my life.
Choosing sobriety was challenging, but it has also been one of the most rewarding decisions I have made.
Recovery has given me a different perspective on myself, my relationships and the way we often treat alcohol as an automatic part of social life.
I also wanted to give something back after receiving support so freely from other people during my own journey.
I speak openly about sobriety and recovery on social media through @SoberJourno, where I talk honestly about both the highs and the lows of being a recovering alcoholic.
Part of why I do that is because I want to challenge assumptions about what addiction and recovery are supposed to look like.
People in recovery do not all look the same, have the same background or arrive at sobriety in the same way.
There should be no shame in sobriety, whether it is something someone chooses or something they recognise they need.
I have also started a book club for people who are sober or sober curious, creating another way for people to meet and connect without drinking being the focus.
Through conversations about sobriety, I have spoken with hundreds of people about their own journeys.
Two themes come up again and again: boredom and connection.
When alcohol has been part of someone's routine, friendships or social life, removing it can initially feel like losing something.
But I believe there is so much that can be gained: new experiences, clearer relationships, confidence, community and ways of spending time that actually feel good.
Alongside my lived experience, I have worked in journalism for nearly a decade and currently work with short-form podcasts.
I want to bring that professional experience, storytelling, marketing knowledge and connections to The Sober Bar London to help the organisation grow its visibility and reach the people who may need or want spaces like this.
I am honoured to be part of a community that is trying to make alcohol-free social life feel supportive, joyful and inclusive.
Kinga Sawras
Advisory Director
Director • Safeguarding & Policies Lead
Kinga brings lived experience of sobriety, community-building experience and frontline support work to The Sober Bar London, while helping develop the safeguarding and organisational policies that support a safe, inclusive and responsibly run community.
Sobriety, community and making sure nobody has to do it alone.
Hi, I'm Kinga. I'm 24 years old and currently live in Nottingham.
I work full time as a support worker and outside of work I enjoy concerts, hiking and spending time with my lurcher puppy, Rocky.
During my time at university, where I was studying criminology, I struggled with binge drinking and my mental health and made the decision to try sobriety.
This wasn't the easiest choice to begin with, and it was something that 21-year-old me could never have imagined.
One of the things I found particularly difficult at the beginning was how lonely sobriety could feel.
That experience led me to start a community called Girls Gone Sober for women and LGBTQ+ people in Nottingham who are sober, sober curious, or simply looking for alcohol-free events.
I created the group so that other people starting their sober journey would not have to feel as lonely and could be surrounded by people experiencing some of the same things.
It was important to me that Girls Gone Sober was a safe and non-judgemental space.
The community originally started as an online space on Instagram, but I soon wanted to bring the group to life through in-person events.
I have organised events including poetry nights during Dry January and an International Women's Day event celebrating women in Nottingham.
Those experiences showed me how something that begins online can develop into genuine real-world connection and community.
My work as a support worker has also given me experience of working with people and understanding the importance of support, responsibility, boundaries and creating environments where people can feel respected.
I believe an inclusive sober space is important because it brings people together at all stages of their journey.
Whether someone is questioning sobriety, just starting out, or has been sober for years, they should be able to find somewhere safe and welcoming.
Sobriety can sometimes feel incredibly lonely, particularly for people experiencing addiction and recovery, and community spaces can provide another form of connection and support.
They can also be valuable for people who do not yet feel ready to receive formal recovery support, or who do not feel that formal support is what they need, but still want somewhere safe to connect with other people.
That is one of the reasons I believe strongly in The Sober Bar London and in making sure the organisation develops in a way that keeps safety, inclusion and community at the centre.
Loulou Jones
Admin Lead
Administration • Operations • Community
Loulou supports the day-to-day administrative work behind The Sober Bar London while developing practical workplace experience, professional skills and confidence as part of her own journey towards employment.
Building confidence, gaining experience and giving back.
Hello, my name is Loulou. I'm 29 years old, autistic, and I am taking on the role of Admin Lead at The Sober Bar London.
I was drawn to volunteer for The Sober Bar London because I saw that they gave opportunities to people who haven't been able to work before or have been unemployed for a long time.
As someone who hasn't been able to work before due to mental health struggles such as anxiety and agoraphobia, I felt that this was a great opportunity for me to try and start my journey towards employment.
I was also drawn to the fact that I would be able to help with the day-to-day running of the organisation and give back to the community, whether that was in a big or a small way.
Being able to sit back and take pride in the fact that I would be able to help in some way really made me want to work with this organisation.
I would like to use this opportunity to gain skills and develop my knowledge through practical experience, as well as by doing training within this role.
I also want to gain professional experience within administration.
Whether it's making appointments, taking notes in a meeting or helping with other administrative tasks, this role will help me understand what it takes to work within administration and help keep an organisation running.
I also feel that this role will not only give me confidence professionally, but will give me confidence personally as well.
Being able to do a role like this will help me see that I can take on the responsibility of carrying out tasks and work with other people in a working environment.
I believe that having an inclusive and community-led space like The Sober Bar London is so important because I feel that everyone should be able to have a safe and accepting space.
That should be true regardless of how someone identifies, what kind of backstory they have, or what experiences they've been through.
There should be a space where you can enjoy yourself without having to worry about being judged or misunderstood.
Spaces like this are also important because they give people a way to meet others who are like-minded and who may have gone through similar experiences.
People might be able to offer advice or support to each other — or simply make friends.
Everyone should be able to have a
Surina Bining
Social Media Marketing Assistant
Social Media • Content • Community
Surina brings creativity, lived experience and an understanding of supportive online communities to The Sober Bar London, helping us use social media and content to reach people and build connection.
Recovery, confidence and using creativity to make a difference.
I'm passionate about using my experiences and skills to make a positive difference in my community.
Volunteering with The Sober Bar London appealed to me because it is working to create safe, inclusive alcohol-free spaces where people can connect, build friendships and feel accepted without pressure or judgement.
Being on my own recovery journey from anorexia, I understand how important compassionate communities and supportive environments can be when rebuilding confidence and wellbeing.
I know how powerful it can be to have opportunities that encourage genuine connection and personal growth, and I want to help create that experience for other people.
After being unable to work for four years due to anorexia, I see this volunteer role as an opportunity to continue building my confidence while developing practical skills in marketing.
I have experience in marketing and content creation, and I have created my own online space within the eating disorder recovery community.
That has given me experience of using digital platforms to communicate, share experiences and create a sense of community online.
I would love to contribute my creativity, skills and enthusiasm while gaining valuable experience working within a community-led organisation.
I also hope to meet new people, learn from different perspectives and be part of a supportive team that shares similar values around kindness, inclusion and understanding.
I believe sober, inclusive spaces are incredibly important because they give people genuine opportunities to socialise, volunteer, learn and build meaningful relationships without alcohol being the focus.
They can help reduce isolation, challenge stigma and show that enjoyable and welcoming communities can exist for people from many different backgrounds and circumstances.
I am excited about the opportunity to give something back while continuing my own journey of growth and recovery.
I hope my contribution, however small, can help someone feel welcomed, valued and encouraged to take part.
I also really appreciate that The Sober Bar London welcomes people from different backgrounds, including people who are sober, sober curious, LGBTQ+, or simply looking for a friendly alcohol-free place to belong.
Everyone deserves spaces where they can be themselves, feel respected and build confidence without fear of judgement.
I believe conversations, events and even a welcoming smile can help someone feel less alone, and I would be proud to help create more of those moments together.
James Nunn
Marketing Assistant
Content • Social Media • Digital Marketing
James brings an interest in digital marketing, content creation and social media to The Sober Bar London, alongside a belief that people should have more choice in how they socialise, connect and belong.
More choice in how we socialise, connect and belong.
I decided to volunteer for The Sober Bar London because I believe in creating spaces where people feel welcomed, included and comfortable without the pressure of alcohol, drugs or anything else that might make someone feel out of place.
The idea of a sober bar really interested me because it offers something different.
It creates another kind of social environment where people can meet, connect and enjoy themselves in a way that feels right for them.
In my generation, alcohol is not always as central to socialising as it may have been for previous generations, and I think it is important that people have more options when going out.
The Sober Bar London represents the idea that you can still have fun, meet people and be part of a community without alcohol needing to be involved.
Alongside my interest in the mission, I also saw volunteering as a great opportunity to develop my skills and gain more experience in content creation, social media and digital marketing.
I have previous experience in digital marketing through an internship, where I mainly focused on website management using CMS platforms.
I also have experience managing and running social media pages across platforms including X, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook.
Content creation and social media are areas I would really like to continue developing.
I am especially interested in designing graphics for social media using tools such as Canva and Adobe Express, as well as developing my basic video editing skills through platforms such as CapCut.
I believe social media is a powerful way to help people connect, discover new spaces and feel part of something meaningful.
That is particularly relevant to The Sober Bar London because people first need to know that alcohol-free spaces and communities exist before they can become part of them.
For me, this opportunity combines my personal interest in marketing and content creation with something that can have a genuine positive impact.
I believe The Sober Bar London has the potential to make a real difference by challenging the idea that socialising has to revolve around alcohol.
It is about creating another option where everyone has the chance to feel included, valued and part of a community.
You can still have fun, meet people and be part of a community without alcohol needing to be involved.JAMES NUNN
