'They gave Amy a voice': Bereaved mum hails alcohol conference speakers
A bereaved mother who held an alcohol conference featuring TVs Adrian Chiles has said the event reached hundreds of people.
Former Shrewsbury mayor Jane Mackenzie organised the conference in memory of her daughter Amy Liebich, who died aged 37 in 2019 after battling alcohol addiction.
Mr Chiles, ex-host of The One Show and Match Of The Day 2 on the BBC, was the headline speaker at the virtual event in May. His documentary Drinkers Like Me revealed his drinking habits and the damage that can be done by alcohol.
The Telegraph associate editor Camilla Tominey also spoke at the event, as well as several other experts.
Jane thanked those who made a "unique contribution to its amazing success".
“Our presenters gave Amy a voice, talking about the changes that need to happen to prevent others dying needlessly as she did. We reached a massive audience of over 700 people with our line up of over 30 world class speakers, covering a wide range of topics which have informed, fascinated, educated and even shocked,” said Jane, who also launched the charity Share Shrewsbury, which supports people with alcohol addiction.
“Hundreds more have accessed the catch-up videos and we have received glowing feedback from attendees telling us it was a phenomenal conference and very enlightening."
She added: “We were fortunate to have the support of both Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin councils, as well as several local businesses such as Wrekin Housing Trust. I am very grateful for all their support and their vision in understanding how important it is to get this message across to the public.”
“We plan to build on this foundation by working with businesses and local government to develop better support for their one in five employees who struggle with dependent drinking.
“Our speakers showed why alcohol addiction should be recognised as a progressive, physical disease which affects the mind and changes the brain. All sufferers need holistic assessment of both their physical and mental wellbeing by qualified experts when they first seek help.
“We heard powerful accounts from those with lived experience of alcohol dependence and listened to their stories about how they battled addiction and found a pathway into recovery.”
The conference took Jane over a year to plan and brought together a line-up of over 30 international experts to cover a wide range of topics relating to alcohol dependence and addiction.
She added: “I wanted to give the public the facts about exactly what alcohol is and how it affects the individual, their families, businesses and society. Our speakers explained why alcohol is the most dangerous and deadly drug known to man, being the biggest killer of men under 50 in the UK and the third biggest cause of disability and death globally.”
To watch the presentations, email Jane at shareshrewsbury@gmail.com to receive a link.
