It’s been an interesting break from college in that I’ve spent quite a lot of it inside on my own (if you don’t count two cats and a tiny bunny.) And whilst extreme low temperatures are keeping me inside, it’s given me the opportunity to reflect on a couple of things: I truly miss the company of others, and I’d probably be quite rubbish if I ever applied to take part in Traitors or Bake Off or Pottery Throwdown, and I’m probably watching too much TV at this point… What I want to talk about for this week’s LFTWednesdays is the importance of being around other people.
My youngest cat likes being outside. He’s made a friend across the street, and they knock around the estate like kids used to in the ‘good old days’. He’s finding being stuck inside very frustrating, and I have the scratches to prove it. There’s been no end of pining at the front door, wandering around howling, and despite there being boxes, packing paper and so many stuffed mice to play with, it just doesn’t work for him and he wants to go outside and play with his mate from across the road.
These long winter weeks when the night seems to start even before you’ve shut your laptop for the day and we just want to return to the cocoon of our homes (for those of us who have this luxury) it’s easy to forget just how much we need the interaction with other people – our mate from across the road. It’s important for us all to keep that social connection, and one that you can’t make from merely WhatsApping someone or scrolling through their feed. We need to be out and about with other people.
This is especially important after prolonged periods of time when we’ve been out of our usual routines, like the long holidays when students (of all ages) are away from educational settings. I know I feel like I’ve been in solitary confinement for two weeks, and really benefited from being back in the office, amongst other people, and settled into my trusted routine again.
One of the things that makes Lighthouse Futures Trust a bit different from other supported internship organisations is that we champion the development of an individual’s social life. As well as offering our interns a range of free clubs that they can take part in, we also run a monthly social club for past alumni too. Our clubs are designed to help our young people explore Leeds and the social activities it offers, and we do it in a relaxed and caring way to make sure that all the young people we work with feel they are able to have the same social experiences that others their age take part in.
If I’m honest, the clubs are good for me too! They stop me from sitting on a sofa for another evening and I get to hang out with a lovely group of people who always make me smile. So, as I return to throwing tiny toy mice across the kitchen, I encourage you all to get out at least once a week and remember what it’s like to connect, make new friends, visit nature, experience all that Leeds has to offer, and just enjoy yourself.