Are you an Al-anon member looking for an Online meeting?
Have you been looking for information on when and where an online virtual meeting of Al-Anon members is taking place?
Are you having trouble keeping track of Zoom meeting schedules or Skype call times?
During these testing times it has become more challenging to maintain contact with our Al-Anon friends and families. Enforced meeting closures and social distancing can make getting to a meeting seem impossible.
Yet many Al-Anon members have found ways to connect through social media applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook etc. or through online conference style calls on various platforms. This has provided great comfort, support and relief to those in need. While these meetings cannot offically call themselves Online Al-Anon meetings, they do often run in very similar ways to a regular meeting and with the same princlples and traditions most members have come to expect.
But what if you didn't manage to get telephone numbers or email addresses before your meeting temporarily closed down?
Or maybe are you looking to find new meetings and new hear new Al-Aanon shares?
Where do you go to find the information you need?
Hopefully this website will be able to provide help in finding access to those online meetings so you can find that all important support.
No Affiliation
To be clear, this website is not affiliated with Al-Anon in anyway. It does not speak for Al-anon as a whole, nor wishes to distract from the incredible work Al-anon family groups does.
If fact we will actively promote and encourage you to access the Al-Anon website and make use of all the resources it has available.
Why the need for this website? Why not use the Al-Anon website for help?
As you are no doubt aware, the Covid-19 virus has swept the world in recent months forcing governments to take drastic measures to maintain people's safety. Suggestions on social distancing and guidelines on public gatherings have had implications for us all.
Sadly this has meant the temporary closure of regular Al-Anon meetings, leaving fellowship members without a place to meet. General Service Office (GSO) have also had to close their offices, with staff working from home where possible. GSO have therefore advised members that it will not be updating the Al-Anon website with information on meeting closures or online meeting details.
Published on the Al-Anon website's ‘Find a Meeting’ page, is a message advising anyone wishing to attend a meeting to phone the Helpline for group contact information.* These group contacts may not have access to all of the online meeting details in their area.
Individual Al-Anon members have therefore set up various methods of communicating these online meeting to others. Including WhatsApp groups or closed Facebook groups, and shared spread sheet list, but these methods do have limitations.
This website has been created with the sole intention to provide you with information and links to online virtual meetings as a temporary solution during the Covid-19 crisis.
It is not an exhaustive list. We do encourage you to let us know of meetings scheduled so we can include them on this website.
Al-Anon Helpline.
The helpline is freephone number which has costs implications to GSO every time a call is placed. Historically, existing Al-Anon members were discouraged from using this freephone number for general enquires about meetings and members would usually be re-directed to the office number 020 7593 2070.
GSO have stated that members are able to use the freephone number to access information about online meetings where they will usually be put in touch with local group contacts. However, we hope that this website will provide some alternatives to using that freephone number, thereby saving money and helping keep vital funds directed to reaching those who need it most.
Of course, if you do need further help and have no other method of support, please do use the freephone number to find the help you need.
*The Al-Anon Helpline number is 0800 0086 811 available 8am-10pm Mon-Fri and 10am-10pm Sat-Sun.
Al-Anon website, updated information on Electronic meetings
The Al-anon website has recently been updated with some further information regarding online meetings. Here you will find some information regarding Anonymity, group registrations and guidelines for use. Please use the link to find out more.
https://www.al-anonuk.org.uk/electronic-meetings/
Frequently asked questions:
https://www.al-anonuk.org.uk/workspace/uploads/attachments/electronic-meetings-faqs-final_1.pdf
letter from GSO