A new group has been set up in Bournemouth called ‘The Girl Collective BCP,’ aiming to help women tackle post- university loneliness and create meaningful friendships.
The group was founded by Alanis Sibley- Ware, 23, who made a TikTok video about feeling alone after starting full-time work, “after university, people move home and lose touch with friends, it makes it hard to adjust to new routines and build a social life.”
Away from the digital world, Alanis hopes the group will challenge the barriers of social media and encourage women to grow in- person relationships, “social media puts pressure
on people to be a certain way, which can make real-life connections harder.”
The group’s first event was a yoga session held at Bad Hand Studio, a wellness space in Bournemouth.
Studio manager Hannah Kearley shared the importance of hosting the event, “I think creating spaces for women to connect and focus on self-care away from social media is
amazing. We were so lucky to have them.”
She added that yoga allows participants to connect and form real bonds, “moving together allows women to feel comfortable, take time to breathe and support each other.”
The group’s next event is a dance workshop led by 28-year-old Maisie from MRC Dance.
Maisie was immediately drawn to The Girl Collective after seeing Alanis’ TikTok, “I knew I wanted to get involved as it resonated a lot with what I do with my classes.” She added, “this collaboration feels especially relevant now, when life is so chronically online and fewer real connections are being made. Humans crave safety and connection, and online doesn’t truly fulfil those needs.”
She hopes her class builds on the community created by Alanis, “through dance, women can express themselves, gain confidence and feel connected.”
As more events are planned, Alanis aspires to help more women form friendships beyond the online world. She shared that she hopes “to continue to grow our community, I want to make it a consistent, safe space for women to connect.”
She added that creating the group showed her that there are people who share the same feelings of isolation. “It’s comforting to know we’re not alone and have a safe space to be authentically ourselves.
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