I moved through this area feeling isolated and not represented, like a lot of what was on offer wasn't built with someone like me in mind. Not because nothing was happening here. Plenty was. I just couldn't find my way into any of it.
So I did the thing that felt the most exposing: I posted a video, on TikTok, asking if anyone local wanted to start a book club or a writers' meetup. No plan, no budget, just a question out loud.
People actually showed up.
Both groups took off faster than I expected. It turned out the gap was never interest, it was an easy way in. Around the same time, I'd started sketching a bigger, separate idea on the side: a creative skills network that could host networking nights, masterclasses and guest talks for people trying to build something creative of their own.
The turning point
The "aha" moment.
I went along to a community connections meeting where Equilibrium Healthcare were discussing launching Seek Connect Move, a Mental Health Month campaign. Hearing their survey results laid out, how many local people described feeling disconnected, unsupported or unsure where to turn, something clicked.
I'd been treating the book club, the writers' group and the creative skills network idea as three separate, mostly solo projects. That night I realised they weren't separate at all. They were the same problem, wearing different outfits: people in these villages needed an easier way in, and no one project was ever going to be the whole answer.
That's when solo projects became a community-led one and Hello. Villages was born!