If you’re worried about joining RISE because it looks like everyone already knows each other, you’re definitely not the only person who’s felt that way.

You might see photos or videos of our members chatting, laughing and getting on well together and think it must be difficult to walk into that when you don’t know anyone. But what you don’t see is that nearly everyone in those pictures was once the new person themselves.

Most people join without knowing anyone

Very few RISE members knew lots of people here before they joined. Most arrived on their own, not knowing anybody or perhaps knowing just one or two people.

So although it can look like an established group from the outside, everyone has been through that first day. They know what it’s like to walk through the door for the first time and wonder whether they’re going to fit in.

You don’t need to be outgoing to fit in

RISE has a welcoming and supportive atmosphere, but that doesn’t mean you need to be particularly confident or sociable. You can simply come along, do your Session and get comfortable with the place at your own pace.

• You don’t need to know another member before you start.
• Being nervous about joining an established group is completely normal.
• Other members have been through exactly the same first-Session experience.
• The way RISE works is designed to help new people settle in.

Will I feel like the odd one out?

That’s often the real worry behind the question. Nobody wants to feel as though they’ve walked into someone else’s friendship group and don’t belong there.

The reassuring thing is that the community you see at RISE has been built from people who mostly arrived as strangers. People get to know each other over time by turning up to Sessions regularly and sharing the experience.

So you don’t need to bring a friend or already know someone at RISE. You can arrive as the new person, just as nearly everyone else once did, and give yourself time to settle in.