A NEW group on the Bellarine is giving locals the chance to grow their friendship circles.<\/p>\n
\u201cFood, fun and friendship on the Bellarine\u201d is all about having fun, having a laugh and making new friends.<\/p>\n
Rachael Stephenson, who has been living in St Leonards for the past three years, started the group through Facebook just over a month ago.<\/p>\n
The group attracted 200 members within its first two weeks, and now has 312 to date.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy circumstances changed, which got me thinking about how someone could get out and meet new people, without joining a dating website,\u201d Rachael said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I started the page just over a month ago… I wanted it to appeal to like-minded people who could enjoy a golf day or a catch-up at some wineries.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it\u2019s definitely not about dating, our group offers a safe place to meet new people by going out for some fun and a laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n
So far, the group has hosted a dinner at the Drysdale Hotel and a trivia night, a golf day at Clifton Springs Golf Club and drag bingo at Piano Bar Geelong, with a catch-up at Flying Brick Cider Co on the agenda.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be tough stepping out of your comfort zone to meet strangers, which is why we select different types of events,\u201d Rachael said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople can step into a small outing or join a bigger lunch or dinner… either way, we want it to be safe and for everyone to feel comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachael said the group had also highlighted how many lonely people were living on the Bellarine.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis could be caused by different circumstances such as separation, or even COVID, but it just breaks my heart,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019ve had comments like \u2018this was the best night I\u2019ve had in a long time\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachael said it was easy for some people to just click with others when they attended group events, and then catch up by themselves as it suited them.<\/p>\n
She said the group would continue organising events through its Facebook page, but hoped members would start organising their own events as well, and share them on the page.<\/p>\n
If you want to step out of your comfort zone, contribute to the group, or organise a catch up and most importantly have fun and play nicely, you can find the group on Facebook.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A NEW group on the Bellarine is giving locals the chance to grow their friendship circles. \u201cFood, fun and friendship on the Bellarine\u201d is all about having fun, having a laugh and making new friends. Rachael Stephenson, who has been living in St Leonards for the past three years, started the group through Facebook just […]<\/p>\n