A new “Dinner Club” has started in the Eastern Bay for women living rurally.

It is the brainchild of rural researcher and newly elected Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor Sarah van der Boom, who is halfway through a three-year rural research project interviewing women living and working rurally and has found social connection to be a reoccurring theme.

Living and working rurally often brings with it isolation and the monthly dinner club is a social event with no agenda – just a chance for women to meet and socialise with others living in their rural neighbourhood.

The first event – a homemade pizza night at Ms Van der Boom’s Pikowai home – was a great success with all attendees signalling they are keen to attend further events.

Ms Van der Boom said she joined Rural Women NZ (RWNZ) earlier this year to help with her research and discovered the organisation had a wonderful programme that supported women living and working rurally, which included events.

“RWNZ members run all sorts of events around the country including 4WD driving and business incubator courses, and social events, like lunch and dinner clubs.

“So, I thought I’d set up a monthly dinner club in the Eastern Bay and the pizza night at home was our first event.

“I loved seeing this group of strangers get together and start chatting about the important stuff in our lives; see them connect really quickly and have a few laughs over dinner and drinks.”

“As well as being lovely social events, I could see from our first dinner club that it will also be really great business networking for entrepreneurial women living and working rurally.”

She said what she really liked about the RWNZ events was that they were inclusive and you did not have to be a member to join in. Similarly, the Eastern Bay dinner club is open to all.

To find out more about the dinner club and its planned November get together, contact [email protected]