To not sponsor Dry January?

[InMemoryOfSleep]

A few of my friends have sent me links to sponsor them for doing Dry January, but I really don’t want to pay out cash I haven’t got for this. I just feel that if you need to be sponsored to give up alcohol for a single month, and you find it as difficult as they are purporting to, then you have a problem! Am just ignoring the emails for now, but am due to meet up with one of them next week; should I just plead poverty?

[Cavelady67]

I won't sponsor for Dry January either.

If someone has a problem, it's not appropriate to turn that into a money making experience whatever the cause, as after a month they will still have a problem and they need help. They need genuine help and support, not money for a charity.

If you're like me and find it no work whatsoever to not drink for a month, then what's the point?! It's not like the lady above who shaved her head for charity, that's actually doing something and good on you, I hope you raised loads for the hospice.

I think it would be much better if people pledged to donate the money they saved to charity. Then you're really doing it for something AND not imposing on other people!! So many people do Dry Jan now, we'd all be sponsoring each other!!

[RaininSummer]

Pretty annoying if this sort of thing is asking for sponsorship. They can just give all the money to charity which they save from not buying booze - that would be nicely motivating for them.

[Bonjovispyjamas]

I'm doing dry January just to give my liver/body a rest after the copious amounts I drank over Christmas and New year,wouldn't cross my mind to get sponsored for it,I've only told one or two people I'm doing it!

[blackteasplease]

I think putting up a Facebook or similar post asking for sponsorship if possible then fine. Maybe even a polite direct email/ message.

Making your life in any way uncomfortable, sending repeated messages etc not ok.

[ChelleDawg2020]

Personally I don't sponsor Race for Life or things like that, but have a lot of sympathy for Dry January. All but the laziest person of average-to-poor health is capable of walking 5km. 31 days off the booze is a real challenge though, and I applaud those who try.

[specialsubject]

I don't drink, dont like the stuff. Can I be sponsored?

Ridiculous.

[Leigha3]

Are they using the proceeds for rehab? 🤔

[InMemoryOfSleep]

@IfNot totally agree that it’s beneficial to have a break from drinking, just not sure it’s worthy of being sponsored! My exact point is that, as you point out, millions of people in the UK drink too much - getting sponsored for something like Dry January is normalising this drinking culture, making it seem like a normal thing to struggle to not drink for a month. It’s not normal.

[daisychain01]

The way I handle all sponsorship requests is not to get into an individual discussion about it. This way no offence need be caused.

These requests tend to be blanket mailshots sent to loads of people either at work or social circles, rarely targeting individuals, so it's easy to duck for cover and wait until the coast is clear

I recently made an exception because a guy at work had a small sign on his desk about a sponsored distance bike ride for Help for Heroes. He used to be in the Army before joining civie-Street, so it was something he was passionate about. I asked for his Just Giving link and gave money for that cause. I really liked his low key non-CF approach, and he ended up raising £000 for the cause.

[IfNot]

YANBU about the sponsorship. I don't sponsor anyone to do anything. But saying "ooh if it's hard to not drink for a month you have a problem" is really snotty.
Millions of people in the UK drink too much. You know that right?? Experimenting with stopping for a while is a good thing and yes, it's beneficial for the person doing it. And? Surely someone benefitting their health, both physical and mental is just generally good all round?
It's interesting that it's only when someone stops taking an addictive drug that they are assumed to have a problem with it though.
And this is just laughable:
I am not doing Dry January but I haven't drank any alcohol since New Year's day (and that was one glass of prosecco and a G&T at my parents NYD dinner party)
Um, yeah, that's because you don't really like alchohol that much, do you? I haven't had a single piece of coffee cake since last year, and I haven't even thought about it . I hate coffee cake
Go me.

[pointythings]

I do Dry January as a treat for myself, I wouldn't dream of asking anyone to sponsor me! I do sponsor friends who run marathons for charity though.

[metalmum15]

MissMisery 😅

[Maursh]

"Indeed, the way in which fundraising has become so bound up with either self-improvement – running a half-marathon or a triathlon – or, indeed, self-defacement – shaving off your hair, or, in Movember’s case, growing some more – has made it an increasingly attention-seeking, grandstanding activity. It’s become in this sense a mere means of advertising one’s own thoughtfulness, social consciousness and all-round goodness, either through a valiant display of one’s physical commitment or more superficial, outward symbols. Movember is perhaps the most blatant example of this narcissistic trend – encouraging its participants to take selfies and upload them to their websites to record their soup-strainer’s progress."
www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/movember_say_no_to_the_mo/14230#.Wl9wAqiWaUk

[Maursh]

It's right up there with "Movember" in terms of not something worth sponsoring: you pay the money (to charity) and they benefit (health and saving money)

I would turn it down on principle alone, although plead poverty if you are more comfortable with that. If you are feeling brave suggest that they donate what they have saved through not drinking rather than begging sponsorship!!!!

[MissMisery]

I'm currently doing dry January and finding it really easy.
So far today I've had a bottle of dry sherry, 3 pints of dry cider and a delicious dry martini.

Don't know what all the fuss is about... it's a piece of cake. Certainly wouldn't bloody sponsor someone for it! Hic

[whippetwoman]

Ah, dry January. To all those doing Dry January, is your birthday in January? Mine is. So I refuse to do it because it’s another way to make a miserable month more miserable. Someone I know is doing Veganuary! January, the fun month with no alcohol and no meat/dairy. The irony is I rarely drink as even one small glass of anything is an instant headache for me.

[Whywonttheyletmeusemyusername]

I'm OK with sponsoring people to a point...running the marathon, skydive, whatever. But dry January is ridiculous...how do I know you're not having a drink in the evening when you've left the office, where I see you all day?

[JuliannaBixby]

Bugger that!

We had a new guy at work who asked us all to sponsor him for giving up chocolate for a month.

I actually laughed.

[MirandaWest]

I would assume someone giving up alcohol for January would give the money they aren't spending on alcohol to charity, if they want to support charity.

[Moomintroll85]

Yanbu. I have friends that ask for dry January sponsorship. They are saving lots of money themselves by doing it that they should be donating.

I'm also already doing dry Sept - June at least as I'm pregnant so I'm not exactly marvelling at the achievement

Of course there are the benefits of raising awareness and people improving their health but I find it a bit cheeky when people (repeatedly) badger me to pay them for it. Can't they instead tell me how much they have saved and will be donating themselves?

[Chienrouge]

frieda909 maybe your friend has/had a difficult relationship with alcohol and it genuinely was quite tough for her?
People with alcohol issues aren’t just people living on the streets drinking vodka out of a paper bag, or people who drink from morning to night. There’s a huge spectrum of alcohol issues.
Surely if Dry January (or whatever month) helps people to realise that it might be becoming an issue for them, it’s a good thing? Rather than just saying ‘it’s not a hardship for me so I’m not impressed with anyone else for doing it’.

[Adelino]

Pick a charity you do support whether alcohol related or not. Then if/when they ask say "Ive donated to ..... For this month. By the way giving up alcohol is going to be great for your health, good on you."

[lolaflores]

Here is an original idea...sponsor women to get their smear tests done! Yea.
Same thing in my book.

[frieda909]

YANBU, I have a big problem with this as well. I love a glass of wine and I might feel a bit fed up about not drinking for a whole month but I would definitely not see it as praiseworthy if I did!

I had an acquaintance (not even a friend) who did Sober September or something one year, and she sent out three or four round-robin emails asking for sponsorship. The emails were really over the top and went on and on about what a hardship it was going to be and how she didn’t know how she’d cope and how she needed us all to sponsor her to spur her on. It was not even tongue in cheek, it was deadly serious. I was not impressed.