'The Wildish Club completely changed our lives': Social hub set up to counter loneliness in Yorkshire Dales expands

In just over one year, the social hub inspired by loneliness which began on Pateley Bridge High Street is now calling out for people who want to run two new clubs within the Yorkshire Dales, and beyond.

Husband and wife duo, Oscar and Nell Boatfield, moved to Nidderdale with no idea what to expect from their new rural lifestyle.

A combination of lockdowns, personal issues and being stuck in “digital bubbles” left them alongside a nation feeling isolated.

After social habits changed dramatically post covid, The Wildish Club’s forward-thinking concept touched on people lacking “meaningful connections with real people”.

The duo spoke about the remarkable and unexpected idea borne out of social disconnection “which completely changed their lives”.

Mrs Boatfield said: “It was a new landscape.

“We all found it difficult to reintegrate after mass isolation.

“We lost sight of a sense of connection.

“Before covid, the community felt broken, and after it just felt different.

“Now with more working from home, changes in lifestyle, you have to get active about meeting people.”

Mr Boatfield said: ”You turned around to find you hadn’t had any meaningful connections with real people.

“We even have a loneliness minister now.

“We needed an office and wanted to meet people.

“We liked coffee, and it snowballed from there.

“We didn’t expect it to become this amazing big community of people.

“It had such a profound impact on our lives it became something we ‘had’ to do.

“It doesn't seem to exist anywhere else.”

The duo are “excited” about new clubs coming up in Bristol, Cambridge and Stroud, while recent events have included Christmas decoration making, stargazing, dry-stone walling and goat yoga.

Described as “cub scouts for grown-ups”, and while reinventing the nature of community, it seems ironic a young-minded business would not be as keen on using social media to extend their outreach.

Mr Boatfield said: “We use as little social media as possible, as we aim to grow organically and sustainably.

“It’s harder to market it as there's no specific niche as we look to make events as unique as we can.

“We aren’t trying to make loads of money overnight.

“Obviously we understand the value of money today.

“But we’re trying to be the antithesis of how most people look at business, it doesn’t have to work.

“It’s just important we believe in what we do.

“If you want to have a real impactful, you have to be patient.

“Anyone can spend money on Instagram, and you may get engagement for a short time.

“We want to remain true to our ethos as a meaningful business.

“The Wildish Club completely changed our lives, and we hope it’ll have the same effect on other communities as we grow.”

The club has been supported by National Landscapes and The Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, and continues to expand across the UK.