Our CEO reflects on a year of success and change

Earlier this year, I had the absolute privilege of becoming Hello Sunday Morning’s third CEO. I’m very much looking forward to carrying on the legacy left to us by Founder, Chris Raine, and to fulfil Hello Sunday Morning’s ambitious mission to change the world’s relationship with alcohol. One Sunday at a time.

With many of us still feeling the effects of the ‘COVID years’, we’ve had cost of living pressures, wars, climate, adding to worries and stress this year, which can impact on drinking habits. I’ve definitely caught myself having that extra drink that I didn’t need in times of high stress.

But on the upside, the events of the last few years have also meant that we have more flexible working and living arrangements that help us prioritise family and friends, we have seen technological advances that we could barely have imagined even a few years ago.

Through all these ups and downs, Hello Sunday Morning has been there for thousands of people who want to change their relationship with alcohol and live a healthier life. We’ve had a remarkable year expanding our team and our services, which are needed now more than ever.

Our amazing and dedicated team has achieved so much this year and we have ambitious plans for the future. It’s a delight to work with a team of people who are such incredible professionals and lovely humans.

Daybreak will always be our centrepiece program – it’s now up to nearly 130,000 registrations and more than 4,000 active members each month.

It’s a beautiful community of support for anyone wanting to change their drinking – quitting, cutting back, taking a break or even just drinking in a different way that reduces harms. You can get as much or as little support as you need through community members, helpful tools and tips from our behaviour change experts.

It’s a broad church, from those who intend to quit drinking forever to those who just want a few tips to be healthier with alcohol or to simply try our new Drink Tracker feature. It’s anonymous and free so if you have ever wondered about it, hop on and explore. There’s nothing to lose but some unhealthy habits!

Adding to Daybreak we launched two new tools: The Alcohol and Wellbeing Self Assessment and the Drink Tracker, and have started work on an online self directed 6 session cognitive behaviour therapy program due for release July 2024, all funded by the nib foundation.

We very much appreciate and thank all our supporters, especially our major funders the Australian Department of Health and Ageing, the nib foundation and the Ian Potter Foundation, and our other valued partners including HCF, the Tasmanian Government and Gozney. As well as the many organisations and individuals who have made small and large donations to us each year.

Thanks also to those who support us in myriad other ways, including our Consumer Advisory Group who provide lived experience advice across the organisation, and our raving fans who spread the word about our great work (check out what Millsy had to say about us this year)

We occupy a unique space in the health and wellbeing sector, somewhere between talking to a friend and going to a psychologist. We aim to provide the space, tools and resources for people right across the spectrum of alcohol use, so that everyone can live a healthy, happy life, with or without alcohol.

Cheers to a great 2023 and an even better 2024, from our Hello Sunday Morning family to yours, wishing you a safe and happy holiday season.