Social Club 150 set to celebrate one-year anniversary of bringing people together
By JULIA SAWICKI
We’ve all felt a little lonelier these past few years. Making and maintaining friendships becomes harder in adulthood, especially as responsibilities pile up and isolation quietly sets in.
That’s the gap Social Club 150 hopes to fill. The Toronto based social club brings together people primarily in their 40s, 50s and 60s through recurring events, conversation nights and group activities.
Founder Keely Kemp says the club is ultimately for anyone looking for connection: “If this feels like a place you belong, you’re very welcome here.”
The idea for Social Club 150 came together for her in fragments. Kemp says it first began after attending a 12-step program event with a friend. Although the discussions were serious, she was struck by how open, supportive and connected everyone in the room felt with one another.
“I left thinking I wish there was something like that for all of us, right? To come together in a really interesting space, to have that kind of camaraderie and sharing and fellowship,” she said.
That experience led Kemp down what she describes as a rabbit hole of research into the “loneliness epidemic” and what experts call a growing crisis of belonging. The more she read about social isolation and its effects on both mental and physical health, the more the idea for the club began to take shape.
Kemp later discovered the “Dunbar Number,” a theory suggesting 150 people is the ideal number for meaningful social relationships. “You can have lots more people in your life, but at 150, that’s the number where you’ll have a meaningful connection with all of them,” she explained.
Then, suddenly, the concept clicked into place.
“One day, the universe just downloaded the whole concept to me of Social Club 150. It just put it all together,” she explained. “I was talking to my husband, and I felt like a frisson in my body, and I ran upstairs, and I got sticky notes, and then within two hours the entire living room was plastered with the plan for Social Club 150. It was insane.”
Today, the club hosts biweekly socials designed to make meeting people easier and more consistent. Events range from trivia nights, mahjong and euchre to group discussions centered around conversation topics and life experiences. The club also hosts guest speakers, theatre outings, bike rides, dinners and dance nights.
“What we really want is to get out of the house, we want to have fun, we want to meet new people right? And that’s the core of it,” said Kemp.
As a Gen Xer herself, Kemp understands the specific challenges faced by people in their midlife, when it comes to balancing careers, family and everyday responsibilities.
“You want to remind yourself that you’re that really cool person from the ’80s that loved to go out and hang out with your friends,” said Kemp.
Social Club 150 officially launched last June, and is celebrating its one-year anniversary. What Kemp originally created to help people mingle and meet new people, has transformed into something bigger than she ever thought possible.
The club currently has an East End branch that meets at the Ralph Thornton Community Centre on 276 Queen St. E. and a West End branch that meets at the Society Clubhouse on 967 College St. Kemp is now working on opening downtown and midtown chapters, both of which already have extensive waitlists. The one-year anniversary party is slated for the Vatican Gift Shop at 1047 Gerrard St. E. on Wednesday, June 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. For information on the event, for which tickets must be purchased in advance, please go to https://socialclub150.com/?gad_source=1&%3Bgad_campaignid=23378708301&%3Bgbraid=0AAAABCR9JD5wErmekAFZ6nzQThl91S5iI&%3Bgclid=Cj0KCQjw_b_QBhCSARIsAP6hR4fO1TwdgnTHLhQ0yn53Vf_MHPtGv3s-7HGMjbqGN3Kz4Mw0ZTg1sb8aAo0YEALw_wcB
Kemp said she has even received requests from Ottawa and Vancouver, showing that both the need and the desire for connection are there. But she still remembers that first Sunday, sitting nervously and wondering if anyone would sign up before finally receiving the first registration.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s all going to be okay. This is a stranger!’”
Since then, hundreds of people have registered for various events, meet ups and activities, and Kemp gets to see it all unfold. The most rewarding part is seeing real friendships formed through something she created.
“Two weeks ago, a fellow came up to me and he said, “Keely, I’ve just made a new friend.”
For Kemp, that’s what it’s all about. Giving people an outlet, and allowing them to reconnect with something many feel they’ve lost.
“We grew up playing outside, until the streetlights came on and we got called inside for the night. So we’re used to having friend groups. We grew up with friends, and making friends isn’t difficult. People can do this,” said Kemp. “What’s difficult is finding the time and the opportunity, and the consistency to be able to do it, and that’s what the club offers.”
For more information on Social Club 150, events or registration, please visit
