From loneliness to laughter: how one woman is helping Warwickshire women find friendship in their thirties

In her early thirties, with a background in event and artist logistics, Courtney was used to being surrounded by people. But motherhood, a move out of London, and a quieter life created a gap she couldn’t quite name. Following a diagnosis of depression and after four months of therapy, she reached a turning point: wondering whether anyone else felt the same, and whether she could do something about it.

She decided to be brave and posted her brunch idea along with her photo on a local Facebook group.

“I thought maybe ten women might show up,” she says.

Instead, eighty-four strangers turned up, and something quietly remarkable happened - the room filled with warmth, ease, and the kind of conversations everyone had been craving. That brunch became the beginning of The Social Thirties - a grassroots community helping women across Warwickshire rebuild confidence, connection, and friendship in adulthood.

Today, it’s grown far beyond what Courtney imagined. Over 800 individual women have walked through her doors, attending a wide range of events - from brunches and Bingo nights to wellness retreats, goat yoga, book clubs, and even girls’ trips abroad.

But the heart of it is simple: women meeting women who genuinely get it. No expectations, no pressure - just a room full of women who often say, for the first time:

“I didn’t think I’d ever need to make friends again… but here I am.”

For many attendees, the change has been immediate. One member went from “zero social life” to having meet-ups every single week since joining. Another was so nervous walking to her first event she almost turned back - now she’s found a group of women she can’t imagine her life without.

They’ve also made it a tradition to celebrate members’ birthdays together each month, because no woman should ever feel lonely on her birthday.

Beyond the events, Courtney actively collaborates with passionate local women to give them opportunities to lead. Ameena, who had never hosted a book club before, now runs the monthly, sold-out Social Book club, while Summer planned & co-led the first-ever TST on Tour girls’ trip to Paris, taking 20 women on a magical weekend getaway. In 2026, Gabbi will be hosting theatre trips giving women the chance to enjoy musicals and plays, make new friends, and have a fun night out together.

With their calendar for 2026 already looking jam-packed, Courtney intends to branch out beyond Warwickshire and take on local hosts in Leicester, Worcester, Daventry and possibly London to bring The Social Thirties to even more women.

For Courtney, it’s never just about hosting events. It’s about giving women a place to be seen, supported, and reminded they’re not alone.

“Before this, I didn’t realise how important community really is for our mental wellbeing. You can’t do life on your own. You need people who make you feel at home.”

What began as one woman trying to find her people has become something much bigger: a growing movement that’s changing the way women make friends in adulthood - one brunch, one book club, one magical trip, and one brave step at a time.