By Claire Cooper

When Elliott Newlyn moved to Lindfield with his wife and young family, he looked forward to enjoying village life and becoming part of the local community. But with no family or friends living locally, opportunities to meet other parents and to build new friendships were limited. “I loved living in the village, but struggled to meet new people,” Elliott recalled. “I knew there would be other dads out there in the same boat, but how could I reach them?” Taking matters into his own hands, Elliott put a post on the Lindfield Facebook page, suggesting starting a new Lindfield Dads group, and setting up an initial meeting at the Stand Up. “I remember walking to the pub feeling like I was on a blind date,” he laughed. “I felt I should be wearing a flower in my lapel and was worried that I’d be stood up!” But Elliott wasn’t alone for long. He was soon joined by Ant Wood, now one of his closest friends, followed by several other dads. By the end of the evening, the Lindfield Dads Group was formed.

As friendships formed, the group has evolved to include a wide range of interests, ideas and activities. “There’s a lot of swapping of ideas of what to do with children and what’s on locally,” said Ant, dad to Blake, 9 and Scarlet, 14. “We’ve organised golf, tennis, football and board gaming nights, and last summer we enjoyed a fantastic camping trip to Hook Farm near West Hoathly,” added Elliott. “It was, of course, pure coincidence that the Missing Link Brewery was almost next door!” “It’s been great to see the children making friends too, particularly my son Blake who now looks forward to meeting up with them when he comes to stay,” said Ant. Arrangements to meet are made via the WhatsApp group, which members also use to share useful advice and information. “With quite a few or us working in London the WhatsApp was particularly useful during the recent train strikes,” said Ant. The group was also a lifeline for dads during Covid. “It was so important to have people to talk to during lockdown and to gradually meet up as restrictions were lifted,” said Elliott. Looking to the future, Ant and Elliott look forward to welcoming more dads to the group and widening the range of activities, particularly during the summer months, “I’d like to start a fishing group, arrange a barbecue on the Common and we’ll definitely organise another camping trip,” said Elliott. “It would be good to join in with events like Village Day too,” added Ant. For more information about joining the group visit the Lindfield Dads Group on Facebook

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