Fancy running a club?

Please note: this post is 15 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only

A few months ago, we started a brand-new club, called Language Club! Language Club is a fun opportunity for neighbours come together and learn basic phrases of a new language, and to gain further insight into different cultures.

In first few sessions of Language Club, we were lucky enough to learn some Mandarin Chinese from our wonderful younger neighbour Yulin. We spoke to Yulin about her experiences running Language Club...

What motivated you to run a club for South London Cares?

“I’ve volunteered at a SLC session prior to leading the language club, I really enjoyed helping out and talking to people I wouldn’t have the chance to talk to otherwise. I was hoping the language class would give people a flavour of Chinese culture - there’s more things to it than Chinese takeaways! - and demystify some of the assumptions they have about Chinese language, as well as honing my presentation skills and meeting new people.”

How was your experience leading the Language Club sessions?

“I was quite nervous before my first language club, to be fair I’ve never taught a Mandarin class before - I’ve only tutored one to one – and I wasn’t sure what to expect from it. What did strike me was how friendly and engaged people were to ask questions, which was what made the session so fun and enjoyable for everyone in the room. Even people who showed up without knowing it was meant to be a Mandarin specific class were really passionately participating in discussions.”

Did anything surprise you when leading the club?

“It was easier than I anticipated, because of people’s engagement in the session. I didn’t have a script ready, and the slides were enough as a starting point for people to chip in ideas and questions. People’s genuine interest in what I had to present and their thank yous at the end was really heart-warming. I enjoyed the back-and-forth conversation with everyone.”

What would you say to other younger neighbours who are interested in running a club?

“Yes, totally recommend! If you think you have a skill to share or anything you’re passionate about, go for it! I’ve never ran anything alike before, so if I can do it you can too. The neighbours are really there to make connections and to learn, it’s a safe environment and so much fun!”

What would your advice be to anyone thinking about getting involved with South London Cares?

“You can try out different clubs to get a sense of how you can best use your skills at South London Cares and what you enjoy the most. The best way to find out if this is the right place for you is to start coming along to the sessions! It’s a great opportunity to meet people who live locally and learn something from them too!”

If this sounds like something you’d want to have a go at, and like Yulin, you have a skill, hobby or passion that you’d love to share with your local community, please get in touch! We’re always looking for new and exciting clubs for our neighbours to enjoy. Please email our Social Clubs team Fleur ([email protected]) and Dupé ([email protected]) with your ideas or questions. We can’t wait to hear from you!