Two friends have started a new social group in Cwmbran for women, meeting up for a walk and ending in a local café to continue the conversation and laughter.
Sian Davies and Lottie Osborne-Franzen set up Girl Gang Socials a month ago and, as the photos show, it’s quickly grown both in person and online with over 350 followers on Instagram.
Sian told Cwmbran Life: “We noticed there wasn’t much going on for women in Cwmbran and the surrounding areas. In bigger cities like Cardiff, Bristol and London, you always see loads of fun activities popping up on socials and we thought, ‘why can’t we have something like that here?’
“We wanted to create a space for local women to come together, make friends and have some fun.
‘ Loneliness doesn’t have an age limit’
“We also know that loneliness doesn’t have an age limit. Whether you’ve found yourself at a stage where your friends are on different paths, or you’ve just moved to the area and don’t know many people yet, it can feel a bit isolating. And while there are loads of groups for men, like football and rugby, there didn’t seem to be much of a social scene for women.
“Neither of us are big runners, and while a lot of cities now have coffee-and-run clubs, we thought, ‘why not start a walking club instead?’ Walking’s great for a bit of exercise, and it gives us all the chance to chat, whether you come with old friends or meet new ones on the walk, everyone ends up swapping life stories.
“The group we’ve built is honestly so lovely, and it’s become something we all really look forward to each week.
“Right now, we meet at the boating lake on Thursdays at 6.15pm, set off walking at 6.30pm, and do about 5km before ending up at Ten’s [the cafe bar at Llanyrafon Golf Club) for a drink, whether that’s something alcoholic or just a cosy hot chocolate. No judgements either way.
“A lot of people have asked if it’s free and if they can come along alone and the answer is ‘yes’ to both. It’s completely free, and you’re more than welcome to join us, whether you’re coming by yourself or bringing a friend along.
“Looking ahead, we’d love to grow this into a wider community of women and host more social things like cinema trips, ‘sip and paint’ nights, breakfast clubs and even Christmas market outings.
‘Connect with local small businesses’
“We’re also really keen to connect with local small businesses to host some of our events.
“It’s a brilliant way to shine a light on businesses people might not have discovered otherwise, while giving our members new experiences too.
“We only started a month ago, and the response has been amazing. Our Instagram has already grown to over 350 local women, and it keeps building every week. We honestly can’t wait to see how this year unfolds and what we can create together with Girl Gang Socials.”
Follow @girlgangsocials/ on Instagram.