This is General Service Board of AA GB approved literature. Alcoholics ... The mailing list for both Phase 1 and 2 was b
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Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self‐supporting through our own contributions. AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organisation or insti‐ tution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. Copyright © by the AA Grapevine, Inc.; reprinted with permission
Alcoholics Anonymous
2015
This is General Service Board of AA GB approved literature Alcoholics Anonymous (Great Britain) Ltd
Membership
PO Box 1 10 Toft Green York
Survey
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Introduction
The chart shows the response rates in graphic form, ordered from the highest response rate to the lowest.
The Fellowship has been conducting surveys of the membership in AA GB approximately every five years since 1972. The main purpose is to ascertain whether the resources of the Fellowship are being used to the greatest benefit in carrying our message to the still suffering alcoholic. All information received has been treated as highy confidential. All forms were destroyed on completion of the project.
Phase 1, Group Survey questionnaires sent to Group Secretaries
Phase 2, Membership Survey Forms completed by attendees at 250 groups who responded to Phase 1
The mailing list for both Phase 1 and 2 was based on the information provided by each Group, to the General Service Office (GSO), via the ‘pink form’. Replies were returned to GSO and then forwarded to an external survey company for analysis. As in the past, this company calculated how many Groups needed to be sent the Phase 2 letter (membership survey) in order to ensure that at least 1,000 were received back from across all of AA’s defined Regions within Great Britain. Bearing in mind the number of differences in Group size and response rate by Region, each Region’s average Group size was calculated and the response rate calculated. Thus a random selection of 250 Groups were chosen, split proportionally by Region. Response Rate Phase 1, 42% of all Group Secretaries returned completed questionnaires (1,531 groups from a possible 3,651). Phase 2, 74% of the groups invited to participate returned membership questionnaires (2,217 questionnaires were returned). Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 have a 95% confidence interval of +/‐ 2%, meaning that any percentage result given could, in reality, be 2% higher or lower in the wider population of Groups and members. The Survey Team
RESPONSE RATE (%) BY Response Rate (%) by Region REGION Highlands & Islands
56%
South West Scotland
51%
South East
51%
Wales and Borders
46%
Midlands
46%
North West
46%
South West
45%
East of Scotland
45%
North East
44%
South Midlands
44%
Eastern
42%
Scotia
38%
Glasgow
35%
London South
34% 27%
London North Not a defined Region
23% 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Response varied widely by Region as it was in 2005 and 2010. The Highlands & Islands, South West Scotland and South East are to be congratulated with over 50% response rate.
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Key Information
What aspects of attending AA do you feel have significantly helped your recovery? 62%
Having a home group
Over the past 5 years an increasing number of people make their first contact with AA via the website
The ratio of 60% male and 40% female remains unchanged over the last 10 years
The survey re‐emphasised that regular attendance at meetings as well as having a home group is important in achieving and maintaining sobriety
Membership is estimated to be somewhere between 33,000 and 40,000
Over 3 million individual attendences at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings per annum
64%
Service
Helping other people
66% 70%
Sense of belonging
70% 67%
Finding a higher power
70% 70%
Having a sponsor
71% 69%
Information obtained from the Survey is important in guiding the General Service Board on how to use its resources. Contact through an existing group member still plays an important role.
72% 75%
Not feeling alone
Acceptance
77% 81%
Learning from others
78% 81% 90% 93%
Regular group meetings 0%
20% 2015
40% 2010
60%
80%
100%
Looking at the above chart showing more recent members only (members of five years or less) indicates that the internet was significantly more likely to be mentioned as a route to AA (by the ‘newer’ members).
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Length of Sobriety Lenght of Sobriety 1978 result
26%
14%
13%
40%
1978 7% 40% 13% 14% 26% 1981 result 29% 29% 10% 10% 28% 28% 1981 24% 24% 7% 1986 9% 45% 45% 14% 14% 10% 19% 1986 result 19% 10% 1991 16% 41% 13% 9% 20% 1991 result 20% 9% 13% 41% 1997 23% 40% 10% 10% 19% 1997 result 19% 10% 10% 40% 2002 29% 36% 7% 11% 18% 2005 28% 33% 36% 9% 11% 2002 result22% 18%7% 7% 2010 31% 34% 8% 9% 18% 2005 result 22% 7% 9% 33% 2015 32% 32% 5% 9% 22%
2010 result 0%
2015 result
18%
8%
20%
22%
9%
34%
40%
60%
5% 9%
80%
7 to 12 months
0%2 to 10 years 20%
7%
less than 7 months
7 to 12 months
2 to 10 years
Over 10 years
80%
93%
93%
9%
29%
1 to 2 Years
28%
100%
93%
7%
2 to 10 Years
2 to 10 Years
23%
9%
1 to 2 Years
91%
91% 15%
120%
7 to 12 Months
less than 7Months
0%
0%
Yes
40%
100%
60%
80%
100%
64% of members said they had been sober at least 2 years. The above chart, illustrates the importance of having a home group to achieving and maintaining recovery.
Number of Meetings Attended Number of Meetings Attened
22% of members said they have been sober for less than 6 months.
Length Of Sobriety vs Frequency of Attendance Length Of Sobriety vs Frequency of
Attendance
16% 24%
5+ per week
13%
16%
5+ per week
13%
3 to 4 per week 3 to 4 per week
10%
1 or 2 per week
1 or 2 per week
26%36%
26%
7%
7% 0% 0%
29%
10%
19%
19%
30% 30%
40% 40%
50% 50%
60% 60%
2 to 10 Years 2 to 10 Years
28% 51 to 60
24% 27%
1 to 2 Years 1 to 2 Years
Over 5 Years
34%
Frequency of Attendance Frequency of Attendance Over 10 years Over 10 years
8%
41 to 50
31% 43%
20% 20%
0ver 60
43%
31%
10% 10%
Age Profile of Members vs Length of Sobriety 35%
48% 29% 36% 48%
24%
70%
50%
20%
No
70%
30%
less than 7 Months
1 to 2 years
Yes
85%
30%
120%
No
85%
15%
7 to 12 Months
1 to 2 years
40% 60% Over 10 years
93%
7%
16%
100%
7%
Over 10 Years
9%
31%
7% Over 10 Years
32%
32%
less than 7 months
7%
Up to 5 Years
8% 23%
31 to 40
2% 10%
Under 30
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Up to 12 months Up to 12 months
The chart above illustrates the importance of frequent attendance at AA meetings especially in early recovery.
The above chart illustrates that AA is attracting an increasingly younger membership. 33% of members with less than 5 years sobriety are under the age of 40 years
