The joy of starting a side project
“And just like that, a community is built” - wrote Joe after I’d posted on Instagram about the success of the first Unplugged Walk Club.
We had a brilliant 45 minutes last Friday morning. 20 people (plus two babies and a dog) joined in on a beautiful, sunny day in Leigh-on-Sea. We meandered along the coastal path, chatting to people we’d never met before, simply enjoying being out with others on this warm March morning.
Where did the idea for this walking club come from? Before my cancer diagnosis I used to do Parkrun on a Saturday or occasionally join a local run club. I’m not a big runner but I liked that sense of being alongside others. Running doesn’t suit me right now - but walking does. Walking has always been a big part of who I am, personally I love it and professionally I lead walks and urban safaris with clients. I’d noticed that walking clubs had started up in London so I thought, why not start one on my doorstep?
And I love a side project - over the years I’ve co-founded a meetup group and edited a crowdfunded newspaper. Partly the walk club’s appeal was that it was a ‘light lift’, as my friend Cali described it.
I decided it could be fortnightly, in my hometown, to get people together to get unplugged from their laptops and screens. Fridays are typically a WFH day so it felt like a good day to do it.
Fancy doing a side project or building a community? These are three things that helped get this project off the ground:
It was low risk, in terms of time, commitment and financially. I said to my wife, even if no-one comes, we’ll go for a walk together!
It was a light lift - all I needed was a logo and an Instagram account to launch.
I felt it was a good thing to do: and if I identified a need in myself, it was likely others would too
It was rewarding to discover there’s an appetite for this kind of coming together, something I felt keenly before I launched the club and it was great to see it in action. Thanks to everyone who showed up, from a banker to a publishing executive, a student and everybody in between. Wonderful things happen when people come together.