Laura Cooper’s Social Media Post Leads to Formation of 300-Member Friendship Group

Laura Cooper, described as “lonely,” posted on social media seeking friendship, unaware that the resulting response would transform her life. The 42-year-old care worker, who had recently relocated and was recovering from an illness, received her first reply within an hour, and messages continued to arrive. By the close of that evening in late October, approximately 100 women had contacted her, leading to the establishment of the Scunthorpe Lovely Ladies Group, which now comprises 300 members. Miss Cooper remarked, “The numbers kept going up and up and up,” adding, “I was just like ‘whooo’, this is real – I can’t believe it.” Within days, members of the nascent group, which has drawn women and girls aged 16 to 75, gathered at a local pub. They currently organize regular get-togethers and hosted an elaborate Christmas party attended by 70 individuals. Miss Cooper lives with functional neurological disorder (FND), a condition affecting her nervous system and the way her brain transmits signals to her body. She explained that this stress-related condition caused her to be hospitalized for a period. She further elaborated, “If anything happens with me, and negativity in my life, then it’s just ‘boom’, I’m not well. My eyes flicker and I can’t walk or talk for about three hours.” Having moved roughly 30 miles across northern Lincolnshire, from Waltham to Scunthorpe, Miss Cooper, who works as an NHS care assistant and teaching assistant, found herself seeing her friends less frequently. Consequently, on a Monday evening, she posted her appeal for companionship. Within an hour, Sandra Ferguson contacted her. Ms Ferguson stated, “I saw Laura’s post and thought, this is what I’ve been looking for.” The two women connected immediately. She commented, “If it had only ever been Laura and I, we’d have been friends forever I think,” adding, “But Laura kept messaging me, ‘another’s joined, another’s joined’, and it went from there.” Jan Gardner, a businesswoman who lives alone, also became a member of the group. She shared: “I shut the door at five or six o’clock at night and don’t see anyone until the next day. “So, it encouraged me to do my hair, get my make-up on and enjoy life again.” Another early participant, Alison Law, noted: “I live on my own and just needed to get out the house more often. Weekends and during the week, I’d sit on the sofa and that would be it.” The group’s members now arrange consistent meetings on Wednesday evenings, alongside coffee mornings and various day and meal outings. “It warms me, it just makes me feel like I’m doing something good,” Miss Cooper expressed. She continued, “I sometimes just step back and everyone’s talking and it’s lovely. It does make me a bit upset, but in a nice way.” Listeners can access highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, view the most recent episode of Look North, or submit potential stories. This content is copyrighted by BBC 2024, with all rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites and provides information regarding its external linking policy.