Our togetherfriends members have just been sent their monthly togetherfriends newsletter. Find out what is happening at togetherfriends here!
April Newsletter
Greetings to you all and welcome to our new togetherfriends members! ItÂs great to see the light evenings again  this time of year motivates me to get out on my bike or into the hills. ItÂs my favourite time of year, I guess because we hopefully will have lots of sunshine and good weather ahead of us! ItÂs also a good time for togetherfriends meetups. An early evening walk ending with a glass of prosecco would be a very pleasant way to end the day!
ItÂs been yet another eventful togetherfriends month. The big thing this month has been the launch of our competition page. We have a fantastic prize on offer at the moment  a week in Turkey, courtesy of Solos Holidays. The holiday offers you sun, sea and companionship in a beautiful part of the world. The prize is for one person, as Solos specialise in holidays for single people or for those travelling alone. But the good thing about these holidays is that you meet up with others like yourself who are also travelling alone. So if you fancy a week in the sun in June, enter the competition NOW!
This month I have been busy networking, on the hunt for other businesses to work with who can offer competition prizes, events and blogs. I attended an excellent womenÂs conference called ÂYorkshire Links where I met a wide range of women who run businesses in Yorkshire.
As a result of this networking, I am lining up an image evening where you will be able to learn about the ideal colours and style of clothes to suit your body shape and complexion. Keep an eye on the events page for more information.
I have also just added a Chinese brush painting event in Skipton, North Yorkshire, where you will be taught painting skills by a brush painting expert. This course is offered to togetherfriends members and non-members, with a discount for togetherfriends paid up members. Again take a look at the events page for further information.
I recently attended a Google event, which gave me insight into the many ways in which you can influence where you stand on the Google Search Engine. Gives me lots to think about and work on over the coming months.
News
As well as talking to other businesses, IÂve been chatting about togetherfriends on the radio this month, with a broadcast on Drystone Radio which transmits to listeners in the Yorkshire Dales, which you can find here. Loneliness and isolation are big issues in rural areas, so this broadcast was a good way to reach out to women who live in more remote places.
If you live in the Bradford area, buy the Telegraph and Argus next Tuesday (7th April), as togetherfriends will be featuring in the lifestyle supplement. It may also be online for those of you who live further afield.
A few magazine promotions are still in the pipeline. We continue to wait for the Good Housekeeping verdict and are in discussions with magazines My Weekly and Top Sante. Hopefully by next month we will have a clearer idea of when and where articles will be published.
Finally, I am in discussions with another travel company who will hopefully offer further deals and competitions.
It is always good to provide some real life stories to encourage other women to join the site, so we are planning on adding a Case Study section to the website, with profiles of women who have met via the website and become good friends. If you have made a good friend via the website and would be happy to appear on the page, we would love to hear from you.
Events
The main event in March has been the walk at Fewston Reservoir, near Harrogate. We had a lovely walk and hope to set up similar walks in the future.
Future events
Saturday 25th April, 2pm: Walk at Bolton Abbey.
This will be a lovely hike beside the River Wharfe at Bolton Abbey, with some tea and cake to finish it off! If you would like more information on this event, please email [email protected]
Ilkley Book club  I know how much women love books, so this is the perfect excuse for a good read, a bit of a discussion about your favourite books and a glass of wine! Monthly get-togethers are planned, so get in touch if you fancy coming along.
Finally, on a more national scale, there is still space on the togetherfriends weekend away in Shropshire, offering a weekend of good food, great company, walks and a visit to a National Trust property. For more information, take a look at the events page on the website and email us for more information.
The painting course mentioned above will be held in Skipton on Friday 15th May. This event can be seen on the togetherfriends website, but if you are interested in attending, please email me for more information. It will be open to togetherfriends members and non-members (women only), so you may like to come along with a friend. Paid-up members will receive a discount.
Competition page
Our competition page has been launched in a big way this month, with a £500 holiday in Turkey on offer in June. The competition has had a huge effect on the number of visitors to the togetherfriends site, all good news for you, as members, as it will hopefully bring more new members to the site and potential new friends for you. It is being offered by Solos Holidays, an established holiday company which offers holidays for single people or those travelling alone. The closing date is 24 April, so get your entry in NOW!
Eventfriends
togetherfriends have just added another option for its paid-up members: the opportunity to find companions for particular activities.
It works like this: you fancy going to the theatre to see a particular show but donÂt want to go on your own. Place the event on the togetherfriends page and I will publicise it for you. If I receive interest in the event, I will pass on the email addresses (on the agreement of each person) and put you in touch with each other.
Current Eventfriend trips on offer:
Leeds
- Theatre trip: ' Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage', March/April 2015, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
Harrogate
- American Jazz vocalist: Gregory Porter, Saturday 11 July, Harrogate International Centre
Please get in touch if you would like to go to one of these events or find an eventfriend of your own.
Setting up togetherfriends clubs in your local town
togetherfriends are keen to set up clubs in local towns. If you would like to set up a club such as a book club, a supper club or a cinema club and meet regularly with a group of togetherfriends members who live nearby, get in touch with me and I will place the request on this page. Again members need to have subscribed to be included in this option. If you wish to join a group your email address will be shared with other interested members.
Current togetherfriends clubs on offer:
Ilkley
- Book Club  6th May 7.30pm. Held monthly at various locations.
Book: the Miniaturist by Jesse Burton
If you would like to join in the book club or set up a club of your own, please get in touch with [email protected] for more information.
Remember, for all togetherfriends group events, eventfriends and togetherfriends clubs you need to be a paid-up member.
If you would like to contribute to the togetherfriends newsletter in some way, we would love to hear from you. Stories, meet-ups with new friends, recipes, tips and recommendations are all welcome. Please send them to [email protected].
All the best, Helen x
