The Sober Community

“Our oldest participant must be 80 years old by now, and he also thinks the app is great!”

Sober is a community for addiction self-help.
Together with members from the Ruhr region and all over Germany, Oliver Hermsen wants to improve addiction self-help.
To this end, he cooperates with associations such as the VdK, the Fachstelle Sucht and long-term therapy clinics.
Sober is not just the desire to be sober, but an attitude to life and the opportunity to shape your own life the way you want to.
We spoke to Oliver Hermsen about how he uses the Socie app for his project.

Can you tell me a bit more about your community?

Sober is a community for addiction self-help.
We have around 100 members from various cities in Germany.
We wanted to make addiction self-help better than what currently exists.
Part of this is to make the community accessible to new people.
We work with various specialist agencies, such as the Fachstelle Sucht, and associations, such as the VdK, but also with long-term therapy clinics.
This means that patients can come directly to our groups after their stay in hospital.
What is important to us is that the tone of our groups is not regretful.
We want to offer lively, contemporary, innovative and professionally based self-help.
That’s why we also use the term “sober”. For us, being sober is more than just being sober. It is a way of life. Instead of saying “I can’t do it anymore”, we say: I’m one step ahead.
I decide how I want to shape my life.
The focus here is on stress management and resilience.

In addition to the app, we also use Instagram and have a websitethrough which we can reach people.

“We work with various specialist agencies, such as the addiction specialist unit, and associations, such as the VdK, but also with long-term therapy clinics.
This means that patients can come directly to our groups after their hospital stay.”

Why did you decide to provide an app?

We used to use a different club tool, but that was no longer up to date.
An app is better.
Initially, I didn’t know that there were solutions like Socie.
I could have developed the app myself if necessary.
The Socie app has of course simplified things.
I think it’s good that I can use an app to create surveys, offer and plan seminars and send push notifications.
You can also communicate across groups.
Previously, every piece of information had to be shared in different WhatsApp groups.
Now I just have to send a message.

What do you use the app for?

The app is used to create events, for communication, for surveys and also for leisure activities.
I also like to send push notifications.
I want the community to have a character, so I use as many functions as possible.

How did the setup of the app go?

That was quite easy.
I know a bit about this sort of thing, but there were no problems.

How did the launch of the app go?

The age group of our community is very mixed, but even the 60+ participants were always curious and wanted to be part of the app.
I recruited the app through Instagram and the website, among other things.
The big advantage of the app is that you can also communicate with community members from other cities.

What were the initial reactions to the app?

All active participants like the app.
Even our older participants (70+) are satisfied and have no problems using the app.
We have a card with a QR code that guides new participants to the app.
That’s not a problem either.
Everyone wants to take part.
Our oldest participant must be 80 years old by now, and he also thinks the app is great!
Of course, there are also people who are more the offline type, or who are more passive participants.
That’s okay too.

Who manages the app?

I do that on my own. The Sober Community is my project.

Who uses the Socie app?

Initially, the app was only for members.
At some point, I also received requests from outside the Ruhr region.
Our community has been very well received.
We now even have a virtual self-help group.
Now external interested parties can also join the community and gain access to the app.
For me, our community is not just about helping addicts, but about shaping your own life the way you want it to be.

“For me, our community is not just about helping addicts, but about shaping your own life the way you want it to be.”

What do you do to keep the app relevant?

I offer various seminars and events that are posted in the app.
All the information you need in relation to the events or the community is in the app.
I like to keep the app uncomplicated, but all content is exclusive.
So if someone wants more information about something, I tell them to come to the app.

How do you and your members like using the app so far?

I really like the app.
I can’t say anything negative about it, it really is an asset.

What added value does the Socie app offer?

The app offers us great added value in terms of networking and expanding our community.

What do you think are the most useful functions of the app?

What I find most useful are the push notifications to inform all members, the events module and the option to create surveys.

What are you doing to attract new members?

I keep telling people to come to the app when I meet them.
We have quite a high turnover of members.
In addition to the app, there are also WhatsApp groups for local events.
The members of our community often want to be a member of the WhatsApp group and the app because that way they don’t miss anything from other locations.