West Sussex social club The Group sees successful reopening of Worthing venue

The reopening of the Worthing gathering of a Sussex social club for single people aged 50 and over has proved a big hit.
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The Group is not a dating agency but it does bring people together for a whole host of activities, all organised by members.

Launched in Haywards Heath in 2005, The Group grew to include five venues and now meets in Worthing, Lewes, Hove, Burgess Hill and Horsham.

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Though the Worthing gathering was closed down for a while, it was restarted in spring and has been building up again since then, with meetings at Thieves’ Kitchen at 8pm on the first Monday of the month.

The Group on a trip to MontenegroThe Group on a trip to Montenegro
The Group on a trip to Montenegro

Tricia Bentley, chairman and founder, said: “When we decided to re-open the venue in Worthing, having closed a few years ago, organisers felt sure that it would be a success. They were right.

“The Group, for unattached men and women aged 50-plus, opened its new venue in May 2019 and now has a thriving club.

“With more than 300 members, there are always new people to meet but The Group is not a dating organisation. Of course, people meet, and we have had some weddings, but the reason we exist is to help people meet new friends.

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“We have a committee of nine but this is just a framework. It’s our members who fill the pages of the diary.”

Members receive an emailed diary twice a month and are then free to approach individual organisers for any events that interest them.

Tricia added: “All members have access to all of our club nights and to all events. There are walks, dinners, golf, theatre, dancing, quizzes, holidays, just about anything you can imagine.

“With over 300 people, there’s great variety in the events on offer.

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“Members have said that joining The Group has changed their lives. We are not a dating agency but we are always happy when The Group brings people together.”

For more information about The Group, go to www.thegroup.org.uk

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