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Photo: Dave Parry
If the bright decor and design hasn’t caught your eye while strolling down Friar Lane, chances are you’ve heard the name - Sobar. Geddit? Clever, eh? Set up by the charity Double Impact as a Community Interest Company (CIC) with support from the Big Lottery Fund, Sobar offers a place to socialise away from alcohol. And in a place that’s as appealing to those recovering from substance dependence as it is to Joe Bloggs who fancies a milkshake and a game of Scrabble.
Some would argue Sobar is no different to a cafe, yet their General Manager, James McGregor disagrees. “The space can be whatever people want it to be - it’s all about the use of the venue. Most people sit down, have a cake and relax. Often businesses come here to conduct meetings, especially since we offer a conference room now.“This ain’t just a big advert for a fancy cafe, though. All profits from the bar go to Double Impact. “We obviously have overheads, but all of the profit goes back into the charity. Money can do a lot, but it can’t do everything. Whether it’s offering a space for those in recovery, or to those going through a detox for cultural or religious reasons, we feel the physical element of Sobar is just as important as the behind the scenes stuff.”
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Photo: Dave Parry
It’s not just customers they help; whether it’s in the bar or the kitchen, they offer work experience to those going through recovery and aim to help them get back on track after what might be a long gap in their work history. Volunteers can stay for up to six months, giving them experience for their CV and a reference. Recovery Recruitment is part of the same CIC as Sobar and they take them through the next steps.
“Izzie and Hannah support people once they finish the programme, helping them into paid employment - whether that’s filling out an application or writing a letter. They’ve also had meetings with business managers and company owners asking if they would take these volunteers on into paid employment. We want people to acknowledge that just because someone has suffered through addiction, it doesn’t mean they are a write-off. Like anyone, they have many qualities they can bring and what they’ve achieved needs to be recognised - to go through all of that and be at a point where they are ready to enter employment again is amazing.”
Besides the obvious appeal to those in recovery, Sobar are bloody good at events. Earlier this year, in collaboration with I’m Not From London, they put on the Sound Recovery festival, which saw two days worth of local music take over the venue to raise a fair few quid for charity in the process. It also caught the attention of the national press, with NME running an article on the event, provoking much chatter about alcohol-free bars.
Whether Sobar will start a trend around the UK is yet to be seen. Although, one thing is for certain - what they’re doing is great, and they’re doing it well. They make a lush cake too, but that’s another story entirely...
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If you’re over the age of eighteen and struggling with addiction, one of the first places to go is Recovery In Nottingham on Broad Street. Here, you will find an integrated group of local organisations - Double Impact, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, BAC-IN and Framework, all working together to offer a fully integrated, personalised recovery focused pathway for drug users.
12 Broad Street, Hockley, NG1 3AL
Recovery in Nottingham website
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