If Friends was the most streamed sit-com in the first quarter of 2018, what will be number one in 2019? Who knows, but one thing is for certain, real life friends are one of the most important keys to a happy life.
So where should Swindon residents look in 2019, if they want to expand their friendship circle and super-charge their social life?
One local group that has been doing this longer than most (since October 1980 in fact) is Swindon IVC. (The initials stand for Inter Varsity Club, but it’s a long time since it and 45 other clubs around the country existed firstly for university graduates.)
“We’re an outgoing club that are here to have fun doing the things we enjoy with other like-minded people,” says SIVC chair, Colin Lovell. “From curry nights to comedy nights, fancy dress parties to trips abroad, the range is as wide as the activities club members want to arrange or go to. After all, why do these things alone when you could do them in company with a bunch of new friends?”
Colin explains that IVC is a voluntary organization run by and for its members rather than a commercial venture. “There are no salaries to pay, just a low subscription to cover the basic costs of running the club,” he says.
Colin and his wife themselves joined the club two years ago to increase their social network. He says they were attracted by the fact that there was no commitment to attend too many things, but “the freedom to mix in with different people and different events knowing there is a midweek casual meet up if wanted.”
In a survey last year, many members said they had joined when moving to the area, starting a new stage in life, or simply wanting to get out, be more active and meet new people.
Some came after experiencing or being recommended to other IVC clubs.
One said, “I wanted to put down roots in a new area. It was my initial search for tennis, walking and book clubs that took me to IVC, and it was then that I realised that it was a members’ club with a good membership.
“What I like is that everyone is friendly: it’s not a clique, and you can spend time with some great people doing whatever activity they fancy doing.”
Former club chair, Barbara, said she was attracted because IVC “isn’t a singles club and it did a variety of events – theatre, sports, walking – with a variety of people – all ages, all backgrounds, couples and singles.”
Yvonne, the club’s Activities Coordinator, is a long-time member, having joined Swindon IVC 19 years ago. With all that experience under her belt, she says she appreciates the club’s variety to do different activities and events that you would not necessarily try on your own, and she has made lifelong friends made whilst being a member of the club.
Asked who club members would recommend IVC to, the consensus was anyone who wants to get out and about and try some new things they might not have thought of or done otherwise.
The first few months of a new year, are an ideal time to try IVC out, Colin says. The club runs a three-month temporary membership for just £5 and anyone is welcome to come along to one of the weekly social nights meeting at a central pub. A year’s membership costs £36 with a discount for members who put on three or more events themselves.
As 2019 begins, why not visit swindonivc.org.uk to find out more? Membership won’t get you any closer to the cast of the Friends TV series, but it could introduce you to a circle of friends who live on your doorstep.
