Women’s social group that helps to combat loneliness

A WOMAN from Benson who set up a social group said that loneliness and social isolation pose a serious health risk.

Tracy Hammond set up Blended Wellbeing in February last year to create a space for women who were in need of friendship and companionship.

The group has 75 members and ages range from those in their forties to those in their eighties.

She said she was inspired to set up the group after coming across a statistic that said loneliness was as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Ms Hammond, who has experience hosting events when her ex-husband was in the armed forces, has previously worked as an event organiser, wedding planner and personal assistant.

She said she wanted to use her experience to create a group that was inclusive.

“I’m an ex-RAF wife of 25 years and 14 of these were overseas,” she said. “I was always the one organising things because when you’re overseas you’re away from your friends and family and it can be quite lonely, especially if you’re living in a new area.”

After qualifying as a health coach a few years ago, Ms Hammond said she was unsure how to put her qualification to best use.

She said: “I then began to research loneliness and found that loneliness is detrimental to both physical and mental health.

“Then on the Wallingford Facebook page, a lady posted that she was lonely. She had no friends and she was looking for a group to join.” The post received about
140 responses and Ms Hammond said that after reading it she felt compelled to do something. She replied to the post saying that she ran a group although she didn’t at the time.

“So, I had to think up something quickly,” she said. “I thought, ‘Thank goodness I have these PA skills’.”

The following week she created a landing page and set up an email marketing system.

By the end of the week, she had 120 people sign up to her mailing list. The group officially launched on International Women’s Day in March last year.

For the first meeting, Ms Hammond said eight members turned up and now the meetings regularly feature around 30 to
35 people who come to the monthly coffee meetings.

The group also hold walks every week, hosts a book club and arts and crafts workshops as well as trips out. Ms Hammond said: “It’s just lots and lots of things to get women together. To get them talking, bonding, making new friends and just being part of a very supportive community. It is just incredible.”

The programme of events is co-ordinated through an app, Spond, and Ms Hammond charges £10 per month membership to oversee the organisation.

Ms Hammond, who lives with her partner Mike and has two grown-up children, said that those within the group had reported a real difference in their life quality since joining.

She said: “We had a Christmas party and I had one lady who joined and her words were, ‘I was crushingly lonely’.

“She lived on her own, she’d lost her job and her mental health was in her boots.

“At the weekend she just came up to me and said, ‘Your group has completely changed my life — it’s my lifeline’.”

Ms Hammond said she was surprised by the diversity of life experiences among the women the group has attracted.

She said some members were “empty nesters”, others were widows and some were seeking company after experiencing loneliness while working from home.

“I was amazed at the people that are there,” she said. “I thought we would just attract people who want to do a little bit more because their husbands don’t.

“So loneliness affects a lot of people and people are finding it very hard to make friends.”

Ms Hammond said it was hard for those later in life to find a community to join.

“Since the covid pandemic, people are struggling to make friends,” she said. “We don’t go to work now in our age group; we’re not at the school gate.

“Confidence gets a bit knocked with the menopause. I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to be divorced and on your own.

“There are all sorts of reasons why, but they’re pulling together and when somebody’s particularly low, they’re posting on the group.

“In this community of
70 women, everybody is so supportive. And for your health, to be part of a supportive community, to be out doing things and being socially connected and having a purpose is so, so important.”