Women and girls of all ages feel less alone and isolated thanks to a special Dundee walking group that is growing in popularity.
23-year-old Natalie Koccisova founded Girls Who Walk Dundee last year after finding it difficult to meet people her own age.
Now the group has more than 500 members with the large meetings a familiar sight for anyone who likes to spend time at the waterfront.
TikToker ‘Girls Who Walk Manchester’ inspired HR assistant at St Andrews University Natalie to set up a similar group in the City of Discovery.
“I felt lonely and isolated and I want to find a way to meet people that doesn’t feel ‘awkward’ or ‘forced’,” she says.
“There also didn’t seem to be many groups or clubs within the city that weren’t centred around specific activities or hobbies.”
The demand for this group in Dundee has made Natalie realise that hundreds of girls were experiencing the same emotions.
Searching for a space where you can connect with like-minded women and form new friendships is something Natalie believes in.
By posting her ideas on Facebook pages last year, Natalie brought the idea for the group to hundreds more young women like her.
‘It helped me overcome my loneliness’
When Laura Drake joined the group at this time last year, she was having trouble making friends and feeling lonely.
“After I had finished my university studies, a lot of the friends I had made had moved away, or I had lost contact with,” she remembers.
“I didn’t have many friends anymore and was feeling quite lonely at times.”
The Girls Who Walk Dundee group maintains its popularity thanks to a sizable fan base across all social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
This is where Laura found the group. She adds: “I randomly came across the group on Facebook and instantly felt that it would be the perfect opportunity to meet new people.
“At the time that there was a walk planned for later that week, so I put it in my calendar and off I went.”
The group aims to provide a friendly environment where girls have the chance to meet new people and form new friendships.
Laura believes that joining Girls Who Walk Dundee is a fantastic way to get to know a wide range of individuals from diverse backgrounds that you would never normally cross paths with.
“It has helped me overcome the loneliness I was feeling before, and I now have fun stuff to look forward to. I feel like any time I go to the group I’m talking to someone new.
Help for those new to Dundee
“The group can help with loneliness and fitness. It can give people a reason to leave their homes. If someone is new to Dundee, it’s also a great way to discover the city,” she says.
“And it has helped me gain confidence in speaking to strangers because it has been such a positive experience every time.
“I have now made friends from the group who I spend time with outside of the walks and speak to nearly every day.”
Walks have doubled in size in only a year
After managing the organisation primarily by herself for months, Natalie now has a fantastic team of volunteers who assist with everything from event planning to administration.
As well as lots of advice and support from the leaders of other community groups.
Since the start of 2024, Natalie admits the group’s walks generally have doubled in size.
Which she assumes is due to New Year’s resolutions and the high social media engagement.
The number varies from walk to walk, but our recent city centre walks have had more than 50 girls attending, which is incredible considering our first walk had only seven.
“For our social events, fitness classes, creative workshops etc, the numbers also vary depending on the capacity, but on average there are usually around 20 girls.”
The group sees itself more as a social gathering place.
Even though walking is the primary activity, the purpose of these walks is to unite women and give them a chance to socialise with new people in a pressure-free setting, Natalie says.
“We want our walks to be accessible for all abilities which is why we make them slightly shorter, and easily accessible by public transport, so that everybody has the chance to come along.
“We also do lots of other activities outside of walking, such as creative workshops and fitness classes.”
Walks are relaxed, chatty and for everybody
Girls Who Walk Dundee is for all women from all walks of life. They’re open to women of all ages and backgrounds, as well as members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Natalie says: “Our walks are relaxed and chatty, and all you need to do is sign up using our sign-up form and then show up to the meeting point.
“We encourage all girls to get involved and chat away with those around them, and we promote a friendly and welcoming atmosphere as well.
Today, members of the group travel from farther away, like Perth or Arbroath.
This year, walking and running have gained popularity as inexpensive forms of exercise that also happen to be pleasant ways to get outside and breathe in some fresh air.
Given that it’s a free activity and a fantastic way to meet new people, Natalie urges all women to give it a try.
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