How Jackie created her own community in Sunderland

Jackie Nixon, originally from Manchester, moved to Roker in Sunderland six years ago. After her daughter moved out, and with her husband working shifts, she was on her own a lot. She wanted to feel more of a part of the community realised she didn’t know that many people locally. When Jackie found out about Be More Us, she loved how the messaging was about connecting people and not focussing on their loneliness. So she decided to start a book club, and create her own community.

In 2016/2017 I led a piece of research on isolation and loneliness in partnership with Sunderland University and local people. I designed an application, role description and recruited the local people to be trained by the university to become community researchers. This experience made me reflect on my own life and community: my daughter had left home and my husband worked shifts so I was on my own a lot.

“I wanted to feel more of a part of the community where I lived and not just by going to the pub.”

I realised how much time I spend in Doctor’s waiting rooms with people just on their phones and not using the opportunity to connect with each other. I wanted to feel more of a part of the community where I lived and not just by going to the pub. I wanted to feel connected and make other people feel this way.

I knew I loved reading, so in August 2018, I decided to put a post out on Facebook for anyone wanting to join a book club. I received a really positive response so we organised our first meeting for October 2018. Our group now has ten members, and we meet on a monthly basis on the last Thursday of the month in the local pub. We’re a mixture of strangers and friends, all based locally, all women, and with aged between 40 and 65.

“My favourite social was when we went to see an Abba tribute band!”

We pay £2 a month towards socials such as a Christmas meal in December. My favourite social was when we went to see an Abba tribute band! I arranged a group meal where members could invite family members or friends, and there were 22 of us in total, ranging from 18 up to 65! We enjoy the books, but the social element is so important. We always stay after we’ve finished the club to play cards and teach each other new games. We’re so chatty that we’ve got to know a lovely 82-year-old man in our local pub where we hold the book club. In the beginning he would come and sit with us, but now he’s got to know the people we introduced him to!

“We enjoy the books but the social element is so important.”

I think it’s essential to connect with the people who live in your community so that we can grow, live and learn together over the years of living in a community. I am thoroughly enjoying the experiences we have shared so far and I am excited about what the future holds. Next I want to set up a singing group, where we go into care homes and sing to older people, but I’m open to options!