How loneliness, the school run and a love of brunch led to something rather wonderful
I started a networking group because I was lonely.
There, I said it.
But here’s the thing – it wasn’t for lack of trying. There were networking groups around me. I just couldn’t get to many of them.
When my twins were small, most networking events seemed designed for people without children or with very flexible childcare. Early morning breakfast meetings starting at 7am. Evening events kicking off at 6pm right in the middle of teatime, bath time, bedtime, before my husband was home from work. Even the daytime ones often clashed with school pick-up or my other job (I’m also a dentist 2 days a week).
I wanted to connect with other business owners. I wanted the conversation, the camaraderie, the feeling of not being completely alone in the particular madness of running a business while also being a parent. But the options available to me just didn’t fit my life.
So I made my own.
The Beginning – Uckfield Business Brunch Club
In 2019 I started the Uckfield Business Brunch Club. The concept was simple: meet after the school run, at 9:15am, at a local café, with no agenda and no pressure.
No membership fees, no presentations, no standing up and pitching yourself to a room full of strangers. Just people, coffee and conversation. Starting late enough that parents could easily attend.
I’ll be honest – I was never very good at promoting it. Growth was slow and gentle rather than dramatic. But what we built was real. At any given meeting there might be three of us or eight of us, and the size honestly didn’t matter. Some of the best conversations I’ve had in business have happened around those tables with a small group of people who genuinely wanted to connect.
We explored different venues across the area – Oast Farm in Buxted was our very first, followed by Hartfields, Spade & Spoon in Halland, Café 212, Pink Cabbage in Heathfield, The Kitchen at Babylon, Coco & Sage in Nutley…
I loved all of it.
The Hiatus
And then life got in the way.
The business, the twins getting older and needing different things, a challenging time at my other job, the general accumulation of everything at once. The Uckfield Business Brunch Club faded into the background – not because I decided to stop it, but because I ran out of capacity to keep it going. It just quietly paused.
I missed it more than I expected to.
Adding Netwalks
In 2023 I embarked on a health journey that eventually led to me losing five stone. Walking became a significant part of my life – and I realised that some of the best conversations I’d ever had happened while moving rather than sitting still.
So before the hiatus fully took hold, I’d started alternating monthly meetings – one month a brunch, the next a gentle netwalk across Buxted Park, Ashdown Forest or the Cuckoo Trail. It turned out that combining fresh air and conversation was an even better recipe for genuine connection. People seemed to open up differently on a walk. The pressure felt lower. The chat flowed more naturally. It was easier to mingle with more different people.
The Return – And A New Name
Coming back to it in 2025 felt like the right time.
The twins are older and more independent. I have more capacity. And honestly, the need for this kind of community hasn’t gone away – if anything it feels more important than ever.
When I relaunched, I decided to give it a new name – Sussex Business Club – to reflect that we’d always welcomed people from well beyond Uckfield itself. The area we draw from is much wider than one town, and the new name feels more accurately ambitious about that.
New name. Same warmth. Same completely free, no-pressure, come-when-you-can spirit.
We now meet on the first Friday of every month at 9:30am, alternating between brunches at brilliant local independents and gentle netwalks across East Sussex. Numbers at each meeting still varies but it’s always worth coming.
We’ve since had great meet-ups in Bay & Bellflower in Fletching, Barn Brew Roastery, Duddleswell and more. Last December we even hosted a Christmas brunch at my house – everyone brought a dish and it felt less like networking and more like a proper celebration.
View Upcoming Events on Eventbrite.
Finding My People
As the twins got older and my schedule opened up a little, I also started discovering other groups I could finally get to. It’s funny how your world expands when the school run stops dictating your entire diary.
I’d particularly recommend Henry’s netwalking group at Ashdown Park Hotel – a brilliant, well-established walk that combines fresh air, friendly faces and genuine business conversation in the most beautiful surroundings. I go whenever I can and always leave feeling energised.
Finding other communities hasn’t made me want to close the Sussex Business Club – quite the opposite. It’s reminded me how much these connections matter and made me even more committed to keeping ours going. There’s room for all of it. The more the merrier, honestly.
Why It Matters
Community is not a nice-to-have. It’s a business essential – especially when you work alone.
The connections made through this group have led to referrals, collaborations and the kind of frank, honest conversation you simply can’t have on LinkedIn. Women telling each other the truth about what’s working and what isn’t. Cheering each other on through launches and setbacks and the beautiful chaos of running a business.
I started this because I couldn’t find what I needed. I’m so glad I did – and I can’t wait to see who comes through the door next.
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Want all the practical details – dates, venues and how to book? Head to the Sussex Business Club page.
Building community is something I care about deeply – in business and in life. If you’d like to find out more about working with me as your brand photographer, I’d love to have a natter.
Henry’s amazing Ashdown Park Hotel netwalking group which I recommend!
