Yorkshire co-founder helping women find calmer, happier lives without alcohol

A Yorkshire-based co-founder is helping lead a growing movement supporting women who want to rethink their relationship with alcohol and reconnect with themselves.
Karen Long, based in Yorkshire, and co-founder Gillian Brown from East Ayrshire, Scotland, created Our Circle after recognising a missing middle between traditional recovery services and trying to make changes alone.
While many women don’t identify with traditional recovery services, they often find themselves questioning the role alcohol plays in their wellbeing, confidence and sense of self. Our Circle was created to offer a supportive alternative.
“Motherhood brings huge demands, and many mums use alcohol to unwind,” says Karen Long. “We help women gently step away from alcohol and reconnect with themselves, so life feels calmer, clearer and happier.”
The founders’ work reflects a growing shift in attitudes towards alcohol. According to Yorkshire Cancer Research, around one in four adults in Yorkshire exceed the Government’s recommended weekly alcohol guidelines, equating to more than one million adults across the region.
At the same time, increasing numbers of people are embracing a sober-curious lifestyle and exploring what life feels like with less alcohol and greater wellbeing.
The idea for Our Circle grew from Karen and Gillian’s own experiences. Like many women, they found themselves using alcohol as a way to switch off from the pressures of motherhood, work and daily life. Although outwardly everything appeared fine, they realised alcohol was no longer helping them feel the way they wanted to feel.
Their personal journeys inspired them to create a community for women who wanted something different, not because they had hit rock bottom, but because they knew they were capable of feeling better.
Today, Our Circle supports women through alcohol-free experiences, coaching programmes, workshops and a growing community focused on wellbeing, confidence and sustainable change.
The organisation sits within a growing sober-curious movement, as more women begin questioning the cultural expectation that alcohol is the default way to relax, socialise or cope with stress.
“Our experience is that many women aren’t looking for labels or judgement,” says Gillian Brown. “They’re looking for connection, understanding and practical support. They want to feel like themselves again.”
The founders say the biggest transformation they witness isn’t simply women drinking less alcohol, but women rediscovering who they are underneath the busyness, expectations and overwhelm of modern life.
Participants regularly report improved sleep, increased confidence, better relationships, more energy and a renewed sense of purpose.
Earlier this year, Our Circle was invited to feature as a trusted partner in The Guardian’s Spirit of Summer feature, recognising the organisation’s growing reputation for supporting women to explore life with less alcohol in a compassionate, non-judgemental way.
As awareness around alcohol and wellbeing continues to grow, Karen and Gillian hope to reach more women who may be quietly wondering whether life could feel different.
“We want women to know they don’t have to struggle alone and they don’t have to wait until things become a crisis,” says Karen. “Small changes can create extraordinary transformations.”