Studies have found that female friendships, those important connections with other women, actually extend our life. That’s how important they are.
I’ll be honest. When The Girls Club first popped up on my Facebook, I actually didn’t want to join. I’d gone through a friendship breakdown, probably the worst of my life, and in the midst of that strange grief I truly didn’t even want to try and meet other women. Or make other friends. However, I decided to try one last time and put trust into new friendships. To reach out for support. It was one of the best decisions of my life.
The Girls Club has given me a sense of purpose, life-long friends that I struggle to accept I’ve only known for a year. I also see it happening at our peer support sessions, at our events. I see women attend who aren’t sure, who need connection, and before long they’re all forming friendships before our eyes. We’ve seen it since we started.
So let’s have a chat about the past year, shall we? I’ve been crunching some numbers.
Alongside hundreds of peer support sessions within Wigan and Leigh over the past year, The Girls Club Life CIC is also proud to have provided: 17 walks, 8 holistic events, 8 family days, 15 Dry-Ish events, 17 book club meets and events, 5 hikes, 6 nights out, 50+ sports sessions, 8 craft sessions, 3 days out, 12 coffee mornings, 3 fundraisers, 5 film nights, as well as tattoo fundraisers and picnics. This doesn’t even include all the incredible collaborations and events that we’ve done.
And all of that? That all started with an idea bouncing around in Jess’ head. It’s hard to believe that we’ve done all of that, plus so much more, in just a year. Thank you Jess and Melissa for all you do for us, for all you do for women. Look at all the lives you’ve changed, including mine. I’d be truly lost without you both.
Last night, we had our first birthday party to celebrate. Thank you to everyone that came to celebrate with us. Thank you to our sponsors, our supporters, our facilitators, our volunteers, and most importantly… you. If you’ve taken the steps to get yourself support at a session, if you’ve come to an event, if you’ve spoken about what we do and encouraged other women to get involved, thank you.
You are why we do it. You are what drives us to do more.
My only advice to you today is this: perhaps the thing that you’re most scared to do, the thing you’re putting off… It might just be the thing that changes your life.
From all of us at The Girls Club Life CIC, thank you for the past year. Here’s to the next.
Happy Birthday to us!
With love (and endless amounts of gratitude),
Allie