As reports of loneliness increase, a south west London walking group is coming together to help girls make friends and form a community.
The Girls That Walk is the brainchild of personal trainer Alice Ravelli, 34, who founded the group after finding herself feeling increasingly isolated, despite living in a big city.
Increased work from home hours and friends moving away resulted in a lack of socialising opportunities, and she would often compare herself to others who had large groups of friends.
She said: “I thought it must be impossible that I’m the only one feeling like this.”
Tuning into her love of exercise, Alice wanted to empower women through fitness and create a place where girls could come to make friends and socialise in a relaxed, free space.
One logo and a social media post later, 20 people showed up for the first walk on 24th September 2023 and The Girls That Walk was born.
It has since continued to grow and now hosts a monthly calendar of events, including fitness classes and craft workshops.
They’ve even run the Race for Life, along with the original Sunday weekly walk in Battersea Park.
Alice said: “It makes me so happy because I see women come together as strangers and leave as friends.”
Among those women is Aline Kohler, 31, who wanted to expand her network of friends in London.
After a chance meeting on the social app Bumble BFF with the founder of Cliq, an app used by groups to advertise events, she stumbled on The Girls That Walk.
“It makes a huge difference to the quality of life, particularly when you’re living abroad – it can be so difficult as an adult trying to make friends,” she said.
Another group member Sarah LaWall, 33, said: “To be in such a huge city makes you anonymous but when you’re out in the park and see a group of girls and they know you and you know them, it’s such a nice feeling.”
A survey conducted in 2018 by the BBC on adults found that the highest levels of loneliness reported were from the younger participants whilst another report showed that Londoners were more affected by loneliness than anywhere else in the country.
Manuela Barreto, Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology at the University of Exeter, said: “When people feel lonely, they often feel like they are amongst the few and that most people are connected.
“That is a huge thing for young people because they are expected to be sociable.
“Social media can contribute to that because people might think that everyone else is connected and popular.
“I think walking groups are a great example of a good initiative because it is something you do as a community.”
Some of the members of The Girls That Walk felt that the combination of getting older and living in a busy city made making or maintaining friendships difficult.
LaWall said: “Missing a Sunday feels like a lifetime without each other now because we’re so used to seeing each other all the time and keeping check on one another.
“It’s been really nice to have a consistent support system.”
Alice initially thought girls would go to the group and leave once friendships had formed but members consistently attend weekly, some having done so from the start.
“They met friends and yet they still come to every event and that must mean something about The Girls That Walk, that they enjoy the environment.”
Creating this environment has been paramount to Alice, who encourages positivity, respect and for everyone to feel welcomed.
Having the group as a safe space is also vital for Alice, who says that for each event a group chat is created and she will have all the girls message her their whereabouts, especially during winter.
Now with close to 3000 Instagram followers and events planned such as pilates, picnics, bracelet making and more, it is clear that the group, which turns one next month, is thriving.
Featured image credit: Alice Ravelli
