How to Make the Best From New Members Night

With our first Glasgow New Members Night of 2025 coming up I thought this would be a good time for a blog post about how to make the best of it.

Firstly think about why you have joined the group - is it to make friends, to go to specific events or just to get out the house and meet people and do things?

Although everyone is in the same boat we each have a different journey. Some people are new to the area maybe moving for work, some people find their friends have moved on, some are newly single and some are empty nesters. We are all different and that is good!

Meeting new people is easier said than done. Sometimes people feel a bit embarrassed or anxious. All perfectly natural. That's my job to help with that.

In our group you won't be judged for coming along looking for new people to spend time with. We have ALL been on our first event at some point and remember the nerves and the worry. I promise you it will soon disappear once you have a drink in your hand and start chatting to like minded people. Remember you are not alone in the way you are feeling and everyone knows how they felt so you have something in common straight away!

Find other things in common with others you will meet on the night and conversation will flow. Do they go to the book group? Theatre? Cinema? Maybe they like wine tastings? Ask where they got their earrings/top/shoes. Recognise a common spark and build on it. Remember to be kind as you don't know what someone is or has gone through to get here.

Don't be afraid to walk into the pub on your own. We are all on our own the first time we walk in and you will be warmly welcomed. Once you've been to a few events you will start to recognise faces and they will start to recognise yours. If you are really nervous about coming in send me a message and I will come to the door and meet you.

Make small talk. It is not meaningless - it is the beginning of a conversation. I try to start with something simple like "How was your day?" or "Did you get here OK?" or "I love that colour of top, where did you get it?" this opens up the conversation and leads to more chat.

Don't wait for people to come up to you. Everyone is open and friendly in the group and happy to chat with you (as long as you don't jump into an existing deep conversation!) If you feel you are getting on well with folk why not ask them which events they are going to next and arrange to meet them there? It's a natural step.

So get on your best smile, brave pants and come and meet the best group of people - you won't regret it!!