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A woman who turned to social media in search of friendship has created a community of women, in the northern Lincolnshire town of Scunthorpe. The group now has 300 members, most of whom attend regular get-togethers, including coffee mornings, meals out and hosted parties. The story began when Laura Cooper, a 42-year-old NHS care assistant, took to social media to find friends after moving to Scunthorpe from Waltham. Cooper’s post was answered within an hour and continued to receive replies throughout the evening, resulting in the creation of the Scunthorpe Lovely Ladies Group.
Within days of creating the group, Cooper and other early members met at a local pub. They have since hosted a Christmas party attended by around 70 people. Cooper, who suffers from a stress-related illness known as functional neurological disorder (FND), worked as a teaching assistant when living in Waltham and said the illness meant she was unable to see friends as often as she would have liked. She said the diagnosis is such that if something negative happens to her, she can sometimes be bedridden and unable to walk, talk or move for three hours.
Cooper and Sandra Ferguson, one of the earliest members of the group, formed a close bond. Ferguson, who joined the group in response to Cooper’s social media appeal, said, “If it had only ever been Laura and I, we’d have been friends forever, I think”. The group offers companionship to women of all ages between 16 and 75. Members are encouraged to meet up and participate in activities.
The Scunthorpe Lovely Ladies Group’s members often look to simply get together socially after work and on weekends, but the sense of community fostered has redrawn their lives. Early member Alison Law, who previously spent most of her weekends alone at home, says she was drawn to the group because she needed to get out more. Similarly, businesswoman Jan Gardner comments that the group “encouraged me to do my hair, get my make-up on and enjoy life again”. For Cooper, who says the group makes her feel like she’s “doing something good,” the experience has been personally fulfilling. “I sometimes just step back and everyone’s talking and it’s lovely. It does make me a bit upset, but in a nice way,” she says
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