I think it’s safe to say that many of us are still trying to process the effects of the 2020 global pandemic, and how it changed so much for our society.
One of the biggest impacts that it seems to have had, is on our socialization. Before the pandemic, it sometimes felt like there were so many people to keep in touch with, so many events to attend.
Dating was already a hellscape before the lockdown, but after, it just made things even more complicated. All in all, loneliness is a real problem for adults these days. Granted, it was already a problem before – making new friends as adults is quite difficult – but it was certainly exacerbated by global shutdowns.
But there is a club in London that is quickly turning things around for lonely people and it has gained more than 20,000 members during the last year.
It all began when 26-year-old Holly Cooke moved to London in 2018. She shared with the BBC that it was a struggle for her to meet and make friends her own age. Holly even admitted to the BBC that she went as far as to google “how to make friends in London.”
That is when she began the Facebook group called “The London Lonely Girls Club” as a way to make new friends and get over her loneliness. However, in 2022, it really grew exponentially.
At the start of 2022, she shared that her club already had an impressive 10,000 members – but over the year it grew to nearly 31,000 members! Holly, along with two volunteers, organize something between 4 and 6 events every month, with activities including picnics, brunches, board game nights, and cocktail nights.
As Holly shared with the BBC, “Meet-ups are getting booked up in five minutes. Our first meet-up post Covid sold out in two minutes.”
She added, “It’s been a crazy journey. I started it because I just wanted to make some friends.”
What do you think of Holly’s club? Would you want something similar in your area? Do you find it hard to socialize as an adult? Let us know!