If you are concerned about your own drinking or that of a loved one then dial the freephone AA Helpline for information and advice on help and support in your area: 0800 9177 650.
At the point where you decide you need help dealing with your drinking you may be experiencing a a great deal of stress, but remember the first step in your recovery story is to start sharing. It may be that you feel embarrassed about detailing the circumstances of your difficulties to a stranger. However all of the Alcoholics Anonymous phone lines, including the AA helpline, are manned by a dedicated team of volunteers who have personal experience experience of alcohol dependance. Therefore they will be uniquely placed to help you find the support you need.
Remember the first step of your recovery is picking up the phone. So do it now!
The Alcoholics Anonymous telephone numbers featured on this page are divided into National, Regional, and local. We have also provided you with some advice and support on making your first phone call to AA. If you are phoning AA about your own, or someone else drinking then the best way to do this is to phone the AA Helpline on 0800 9177 650, or your regional contact number number as listed below.
Alcoholics Anonymous – National Contact Numbers
Alcoholics Anonymous – Regional Contact Numbers
Alcoholics Anonymous – Local Contact Numbers
Alcoholics Anonymous – Your first phone call
AA – National Contact Numbers
The AA Helpline – 0800 9177 650
The Alcoholics Anonymous national helpline is for alcoholics, relatives of alcoholics and the general population to phone regarding the work done by AA in the UK. They will be able to offer advice and support over the phone and also help you to get in touch with a fellow alcoholic or group located near to you. If you are phoning for support with your own drink problem then you can also phone your regional branch who will put you in touch with a experienced member who can arrange for you to attend a local meeting. If you are unable to drive, they will probably offer you a lift to your first meeting so that your have morale support and more of a chance of getting through that door.
Alcoholics Anonymous General Service Offices – GSO
Alcoholics Anonymous operate three General Service Offices in the UK, they are located in York, Glasgow and London. The job of these offices is to organise AA’s UK operations, collect statistics, write literature and disseminate information. Members of the public or journalists who have enquiries about the work Alcoholics Anonymous do can phone one of the following General Services Offices:
York: 01904 644 026
London: 020 7407 0700
Glasgow: 0141 226 2214
Alcoholics Anonymous Regional Numbers
If you find yourself in the position where you are reaching out to Alcoholics Anonymous concerning your drinking then you should either phone the national helpline at the top of this page or you can choose a number from the table of regional numbers, below, that is closest to you.
| Region | City | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|
| England | ||
| South East | Bedford | 01904 644026 |
| Brighton | 01273 203343 | |
| Chiltern | 01628 530055 | |
| Essex | 01245 256147 | |
| Greater Yarmouth | 01493 440396 | |
| Harlow | 01279 454502 | |
| Hertfordshire | 01438 747475 | |
| High Wycombe | 01628 530055 | |
| Ipswich | 01473 212224 | |
| Kent East | 01227 455557 | |
| Kent West | 01622-751842 | |
| Kent Lynn | 01603 621128 | |
| London | 0207 833 0022 | |
| Middlesex | 0207 833 0022 | |
| Mid Surrey | 01252 521133 | |
| Norfolk | 01603 621128 | |
| Northdown | 0238 022 3198 | |
| Norwich | 01603 621128 | |
| Oxford | 01865 242373 | |
| Reading | 0118 959 7494 | |
| Stevenage | 01438 747475 | |
| Suffolk | 01473 212224 | |
| Surrey | 01883 330720 | |
| Sussex | 01622 751842 | |
| Watford | 01923 211122 | |
| South West | Bristol | 0117 9265520 |
| Cornwall | 01752 791111 | |
| Devon | 01752 791111 | |
| Dorset | 01202 296000 | |
| Exeter | 01392 221444 | |
| Gloucester | 01452 418515 | |
| Southampton | 0238 0223 198 | |
| Wiltshire | 01380 729064 | |
| Midlands | Birmingham | 0121 2120111 |
| Coventry | 0292 061 2211 | |
| Derbyshire | 0115 941 7100 | |
| Leicestershire | 0115 941 7100 | |
| Lincolnshire | 01472 362058 | |
| Northampton | 01604 637788 | |
| Nottingham | 0115-9417100 | |
| Redditch | 01527-64715 | |
| Shrewsbury | 01792 301907 | |
| Stoke on Trent | 01782 266366 | |
| West Midlands | 01384 482929 | |
| Worcester | 01792 301907 | |
| North East | Durham | 01915 214400 |
| Durham | 01915 214400 | |
| East Yorkshire | 01482 830083 | |
| Newcastle On Tyne | 0191 5214400 | |
| Scarborough | 0113 2454567 | |
| Sheffield | 0114 2701984 | |
| South Humberside | 01472 362058 | |
| York | 01904 644026 | |
| Yorkshire | 0113 2454567 | |
| North West | Blackpool | 01253 792632 |
| Cheshire | 0151 7092900 | |
| Chester | 01244 659759 | |
| Liverpool | 0151 7092900 | |
| Manchester | 0161 8392881 | |
Regional Numbers Scotland
| City | Contact Number |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen | 0224 582184 |
| Dumbarton | 0411 874183 |
| Dundee | 01382 818850 |
| Edinburgh | 0131 225272 |
| Stornoway | 01851 702221 |
Regional Numbers Wales
| City | Contact Number |
|---|---|
| Aberystwyth | 0197 0625574 |
| Cardiff | 0292 0373939 |
| Carmarthen | 01267 238888 |
| Milford Haven | 0845 7697555 |
| Pontypridd | 01685 875070 |
| Swansea | 01792 301907 |
| Telford | 01952 256370 |
People on the Isle of Man can contact their local AA group on 0116 24663676.
Alcoholics Anonymous – Local Contact Numbers
When you phone AA for the first time you can either choose the AA national helpline or the relevant number in our regional contacts list, above. They will get you in touch with an experienced AA member living near you who can help you arrange transport to your first AA meeting. They will usually take your telephone number and you will receive a phone call that same day. Your new AA contact will help you settle into AA and give you valuable advice on how to quit drink. The good thing with AA is that it is an inherently welcoming group, where you will have a forum to discuss the causes of your drinking and come up with some valuable solutions. Alcoholics Anonymous encourage new members to pick up the phone before they pick up a drink. So give them a try, today.
AA – your first phone call
Many people have top overcome certain qualms and barriers before they pick up the phone to call the AA helpline. Some of the reasons that people put off contacting Alcoholics Anonymous we will deal with below.
Reason 1 – a reluctance to quit alcohol
Some people believe they have to quit drinking before they attend their first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, this is simply not the case. The only requirement to attend an AA meeting is to have a desire to quit drink. Therefore it is not unknown for people to turn up at their first meeting quite drunk. However as long as the attendee shows some willingness to quit they will be made to feel most welcome.
Reason 2 – not knowing where a meeting is or how to get to it
When you phone the AA helpline you will be given the phone number of someone living local to you who has a number of years of sobriety. This person will get in touch with you and offer to accompany you to your first meeting. The first step is for you to make that phone call.
Reason 3 – Not believing you are an alcoholic
If you have found yourself in the grip of alcohol and are experiencing difficulties at home and find stopping the drink difficult then it is likely that you should pick up that phone and contact someone at AA. Go to a few meeting decide for yourself if the stories that are told in the rooms echo your own, and see if you can find a group where you feel the support necessary to put down the bottle.
Reason 4 – Fear of being judged
All your interactions within Alcoholics Anonymous, from your first phone call to your last meeting will be with fellow alcoholics and it is likely that you will find many people who share stories that resonate with your own. Also remember that Alcoholics Anonymous is a confidential organisation and it is policy that nothing you discuss should leave the room.
Reason 5 – Fear of failure
There is an old quote we can use to help you with this one: ‘Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Pick up the phone, call the AA helpline on 0800 9177 650, and start your recovery journey in Alcoholics Anonymous.