Created by Nic Sowden and Rachel Hirst, In Good Company hopes to create a welcoming space to bring the women of Sheffield and even further afield together for a good old chat.
The idea was born in lockdown after the pair became inspired by their chats about the simple pleasures in life that they missed throughout the pandemic. After being deprived of social connection for so long, Nic and Rachel set up events to get local women talking and forging connections with each other.
Nic said: “Most importantly, we were both in two very new parts of our lives where we were talking about the difficulties of making new connections as an adult and the importance of having that support. We wanted to bring together a community that lifted each other up.”
The next In Good Company event is taking place on 19 June at The Mowbary. However, if you are unable to attend this one, there is already another event in the works for October.
The simplicity of the event is what makes it different. Rather than having an activity to do, In Good Company provides guests with a welcome drink and a two-course meal to share and encourage conversations. Many newcomers will go to the events alone and leave with a new group of friends.
After the meal, visitors are invited to listen to a panel of inspirational speakers. Rachel said: “Through our panels, we talk about navigating life from a woman’s point of view. We cover all different topics that generally people can relate to in some way like the challenges that we’ve faced or the ambitions that we have.”
Aside from their supper club evenings, Nic and Rachel have held special events for International Women’s Day and Christmas parties. Nic said: “Although a Christmas party might sound quite frivolous, actually there’s a lot of women in our community that are freelance or don’t have a place of work. We hold that event to be the Christmas party for those people.”
In Good Company tries to make their events as accessible as possible by being aware of the social issues facing women in the UK at the moment. There are no obligations to attend every event so you can pick and choose what times work best for you.
We wanted to bring together a community that lifted each other up.
The events also rope in local businesses. “We bring in creative partners from the city. So people like photographers, illustrators, florists, and ceramicists who all bring skills to the table and contribute something. We’re also shining a spotlight on female-led businesses in Sheffield.”
The pair have already been blown away by the response to their events and want this community to continue to grow. “At the end of every night, we are always really gobsmacked by the feeling that everybody leaves with,” said Nic, “It’s really joyful and positive. It’s about women supporting women.”
You can buy a ticket to the next In Good Company event here, and keep up to date with any future events through their social media: Instagram
