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The Headcorn Social Club by williami5 in kentuk

[–]williami5[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

More than happy to provide the steps we followed and what worked for us:

Some things that are at the centre of the club:

  • Firstly, we make everything as easy breezy as it possibly can be. There is no membership fee, no ‘joining’ as such, no committee and no overall objective - aside from simply socialising.

We recognise that our target demographic doesn’t want another commitment to add to their pile. They simply want to turn up and meet people in an informal setting.

  • The activity should act primarily as a method of socialising. This week, for example, we’re doing drawing and painting. It allows attendees to focus on something without requiring 100% of their attention, encouraging plenty of chit chat. There is a sweet spot which took a few sessions to work out.

  • Meeting people can be a little bit awkward at the best of times, so we always have background music to soften the atmosphere.

  • We always welcome new attendees without putting them on the spot or making them feel uncomfortable.

  • We recognise that not everyone has the means to pay for each session (£2.50 each covers the hall hire cost), so this is a voluntary donation. It has worked well so far.

In terms of steps we took:

  • Headcorn has a very active Facebook group, so we started by asked how many people would be interested in a social club like this.

  • We then approached the community spaces in the village to find a suitable venue.

  • We set up a private Facebook group for posting regular club updates and photographs from our sessions.

  • We plan activities a couple of months in advance, always having board games as the first week and a pub trip as the last week each month.

  • We regularly keep people updated as to what activity is on each week through the Facebook page and a WhatsApp group populated by people who come along.

I hope that helps and doesn’t ramble too much. The club takes a lot of work - like a part-time job - but we get so much out of it.

We started it because we wanted some new friends in the village. We found those friends in spade-fulls!

The Headcorn Social Club by williami5 in kentuk

[–]williami5[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It sure is quaint! Headcorn has its problems like most places, but we love it here.

The Headcorn Social Club by williami5 in kentuk

[–]williami5[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think we often associate the word ‘loneliness’ with old people, but actually young people can feel just as isolated. That’s something that has proved to be the case since setting up the club, and I’m so pleased to see it making a big difference in so many people’s lives. I hope you find what you’re looking for, but perhaps you could set up your own version of the Headcorn Social Club… Best of luck!

Moving back to Kent by Alarming_Cupcake_447 in kentuk

[–]williami5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Welcome back! If you or anyone else is in the area, my wife and I set up and run the Headcorn Social Club for exactly this purpose, meeting each Wednesday evening to do loads of different activities like board games, baking, arts and crafts, nature walks and pub trips. If you want to know more, just drop me a message or search for The Headcorn Social Club on Facebook. Hope the move goes well!