AFTER deciding to quit drinking while travelling in 2015, a man from Port Sunlight has launched his own brand to "reframe sobriety" and connect people with the outdoors.
Scott Woolley, 34, started working in drug and treatment services in 2007, until 2015. He worked with criminal justice users, and voluntary users across Merseyside.
In 2015, Scott decided to quit his job and go travelling for 16 months where he took on a 'no alcohol' challenge for a year.
Speaking to the Globe, Scott said: "Years prior to going travelling, and having worked with drug users, it made me question my own relationship with alcohol because you're exposed to the consequences of it.
"It makes me aware of my own addictive behaviours. I would dread going on nights out and dread the hangovers."
Scott travelled around Australia, Dubai, New Zealand, USA and Bermuda. He extended his 'no alcohol' challenge another year and now has committed to lifelong abstinence.
In 2020, during the pandemic, Scott published 'The Sober Story' on his social media to help inspire other people and share his journey with no alcohol.
The post had a positive response, so Scott began thinking of ideas to set up a 'sober community' to ultimately make an impact and 'Arclett' was born.
Arclett, named after Loch Arklet in Scotland, is a community brand devoted to removing the stigma of sober living and connecting people with nature. It was launched at the start of January.
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The brand mixes Scott's experiences with drug treatment in his career, along with his experiences living alcohol-free.
"I don't want the brand to be perceived as anti-alcohol because there are plenty of those out there. It's about focusing on the rewards and connecting with the outdoors," he said.
Scott explained that as of September 2022, a third of pub visits are now alcohol-free, over a quarter of 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK are now fully teetotal and the non-alcoholic drinks market has grown by 506% since 2015.
He added: "I never had an addiction to alcohol but I recognise that there is a lot of negative culture around alcohol in the UK and there shouldn't be any shame in not wanting to drink."
Arclett retreats
Scott is planning to set up retreats with Arclett where people can fill the void left by alcohol, do some outdoor therapy and join a guided adventure or day retreat.
He said: "One thing I've made clear is we're not a support provider. We're a sober collective and if people need support, we will direct them to a doctor or support groups.
"This is for people who want to pursue sober living or are maybe sober curious.
"The retreats are for me to interact with people so we can all get to know each other and talk about sober curiosity."
You can find out more about Arclett on their website https://www.arclett.com/ or their Instagram @Arclett.
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