Making friends as an adult isn’t always easy but it should feel natural, comfortable and fun. That’s why we teamed up with Lonely Girls Club, a community dedicated to helping women build real relationships in safe, welcoming spaces to host two cosy colouring nights at Shake Shack.
Using artwork created by Michael Parkin, whose illustrations draw inspiration from the local area and everyday life on the Common, members gathered for an evening that was less about being perfect and more about simply being present. Just creativity, calm and connection.
We sat down with Holly Cooke, the founder of Lonely Girls Club to talk about community, creativity, and why moments like this matter now more than ever.
Meet Holly Cooke
SS: For anyone new to Lonely Girls Club, how would you describe the community and what sits at the heart of it?
HC: Lonely Girls Club is one of the UK’s largest communities for women and we’re all about creating safe spaces for women to come together to connect, make friends, and make life less lonely.
SS: What sparked the idea to start Lonely Girls Club? Was there a moment when you thought, ‘Okay this needs to exist’?
HC: Lonely Girls Club started about seven years ago after I personally moved to London. I moved on my own and did not know a single person in the city. I realised that making friends in a new place as an adult is actually really quite hard.
SS: Making friends as an adult can feel harder than it should be. Why do you think spaces like this matter so much right now?
HC: The world can feel so dark, lonely, and isolating, and having a space where you can come and meet new people, connect with others with similar interests, and find other people that are at the same life stage as you, is just amazing, helpful, and life giving. It’s why we do what we do.
SS: We loved teaming up for our colouring night at the Shack. What drew you to the idea of a creative, low-pressure event like colouring?
HC: Colouring is one of our favourite events at the Lonely Girls Club. It’s so fun and creative, just easy and chilled for everyone. There’s not too much for you to think about, you don’t have to worry about “What do I say to someone sitting next to me?” because you know you’ve got something to talk about when you run out of conversation ideas.
SS: You’ve met so many incredible women through the community, what’s one thing you learned about friendship on this journey?
HC: Unlike when we were kids, making friends on the playground is the easiest thing on the planet because you see them every single day at school. As an adult, it can take a lot longer, and it can take so much work and effort, but it’s so worth it.
SS: For anyone who wants to put themselves out there but feels nervous, what advice would you give them?
A6: Take it one step at a time. Life exists outside of your comfort zone, but that comfort zone is different for everyone. For some people, it’s just saying “hi” to a new person at work, for others, it’s going to a friend’s birthday where you might not know anyone, and for someone else, it’s coming to an event like ours where you’d come alone and meet loads of new people.
SS: And finally, what’s next for Lonely Girls Club? Anything exciting coming up that we should keep an eye on?
HC: We’ve got so many exciting plans! We’re just about to announce our 8th city branch which is going to be incredible, and we’ve just come back from our two winter retreats. There’s probably going to be more of those next year too.
And that’s a wrap!
Sometimes the simplest activities bring the deepest sense of belonging, supporting our commitment to standing for something good. Thanks for joining us for this special feature, you can follow Holly on her journey @holljc for all things @lonely_girlsclub.
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