Cosy: Founder Virginia Cooke with members Leonie Curtis and Martin Longstaff plan the Coasters second birthday celebration.
JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
WITH the internet, emails and texting changing they way we interact these days, one local group is keeping face to face socialising alive.
Coasters Social Group celebrates its second birthday in two weeks, with a myriad of social events in Geelong and Bellarine under its belt.
Founder Virginia Cooke says she can look back on a successful two years with the group now boasting 100 members ranging in age from 23 to 71.
“People join social groups for all sorts of reasons – because they’re new to an area, or to broaden their social circle or because their circumstances have changed and their friendship group have moved on,” Virginia said.
She formed the group as a way of getting out and discovering the wide range of things to do in the region, in good company.
“As I’m partnered myself, I wanted to start a social group that wasn’t just for single people.
“When people join Coasters, they tell me they don’t have to worry about not having anyone to go to a particular event with because there’s a group already going,” Virginia said.
Coasters members host events to appeal to both men and women every weekend and some week nights, including dinners, band nights, trivia, movies, regular Friday night drinks, bowling, brunches, and more.
Members could choose to host events of interest to them.
Virginia said Coasters was free to join because it was a community group run by its members.
“It’s a great opportunity for members to get some experience hosting small events and they get a lot of support,” Virginia said.
A particularly popular all ages event – apart from the regular TGIFs – was Adventure Golf at Wallington, she said.
“Most members are in the 30 to 50 age group and while Coasters includes some men, we’d like to see a few more.”
Coasters hosts a fortnightly Saturday morning coffee meet and greet for new members to check out what’s on offer and talk to other members.
You can join at www.group spaces.com/CoastersSocialGroup, or call 0411 952 598.
