Everyone is different but at certain stages of our lives, having friends to spend time with is a welcomed distraction and a comfort. Whether you have recently moved to Harrogate? Or maybe you’ve reached a point in your life when you feel like you need some new friends? Perhaps you find yourself with more time as the kids grow up, or you have lost a set of friends after divorce or separation? It is always nice to know that you have friends to spend time with.

With this in mind making friends in Harrogate is where we come in. Black Swan Bowling Club uses crown green bowling as the backdrop for meeting new friends. The common interest of bowling, initially gives you something to talk about and then as bonds form the friendships can develop. We do not just focus on bowling there are a number of events, social and other events that give plenty of opportunities for meeting new people.

“Our HELP project received an invaluable £2,500 grant from the Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust to supporting the running of our weekly Friendship & Exercise Club for older people in Ripon.

After a challenging couple of years it is more important than ever that we can bring people together who are at risk of loneliness. Our Friendship & Exercise Club enables older people from Ripon and the surrounding rural areas to re-establish their social connections and to regain any loss of mobility and fitness.

For some members, the Friendship & Exercise Club is the only time they get out of the house each week and we do everything we can to make it a welcoming, accessible space to all, particularly those who have lost confidence since the pandemic. The first part of the session is led by a qualified mobility instructor. She guides participants through a series of chair-based exercises designed to increase strength and flexibility.  The second part of the session focuses on fostering social interaction. Over refreshments, members either chose to catch up with one another, run a tombola or quiz, or plan more activities for future sessions.

Dorothy’s story is a great example of how the Club makes a difference to our members:

Dorothy recently lost her husband and made contact by email after hearing about the Friendship Club on the notice board at St Wilfrid’s Community Centre. She was extremely nervous about coming along as her life was pretty confined to being at home and caring for her husband for many years. After a few messages Dorothy plucked up the courage to come along. Some of the group members have naturally become welcome buddies, helping new people feel welcome and supported in the first few weeks. This has really been amazing to see and is an example of why the group works due to the caring and compassionate culture adopted by the group. Dorothy says: “I feel so comfortable coming here, I’ve been made to feel really welcome and not just left sat in the corner on my own.”

Beyond the Friendship & Exercise Club, we have an army of volunteers helping people in our community stay safe and well at home and connected with their communities. Our volunteer drivers offer a lifeline to people who struggle to get out or use public transport. Our Help at Home handymen are helping improve people’s home environments so they feel more confident living independently and our volunteer befrienders are making life a little less lonely for the people they support in Ripon and the surrounding villages. A lot of our work is now focused on supporting individuals and families through the cost of living crisis, signposting them to support and guidance to ensure they are not lost in the system.”