Balancers - Expand Your Circle

Hi Balancers,
We believe community is about more than meeting new people. It's also about showing up for those who need support.
As part of our ongoing partnership with Refugee Community Kitchen, we're inviting you to join us for a different kind of volunteering session.

This time, we’re joining Refugee Community Kitchen (RCK) at their Goodge Street service to provide essential clothing to people who need it.

👕 HOW IT WORKS
We’ll meet at 6:00 PM in front of the Dominion Theatre.
From there, we’ll cross the road to Primark and split into small groups. Each group will be given a few essential clothing items to find and buy.
Once we’re done, we’ll walk about 5 minutes to Goodge Street, join the RCK service and distribute the clothing while their team serves food.

♻️ HAVE CLOTHES YOU DON’T USE ANYMORE?
You’re also welcome to bring a small amount of clean, good-condition clothing that you no longer use and would be happy to donate.
Please only bring a few items, as we have very limited storage space and may not be able to take large bags of clothes.

🍻 AFTER VOLUNTEERING
For anyone who wants to stick around, we’ll head to a nearby pub for a drink after the session. A chance to relax, chat and get to know each other a little better.

💷 CHIPPING IN
We’ll collect contributions from the group and use the full amount to buy the clothing that evening.
If you can, bring some cash — but there’s absolutely no pressure to contribute much. Even £1 helps, and you’re just as welcome to volunteer regardless of how much you contribute.

🚨 Spoiler alert: Balancers is for people willing to put themselves out there. Show up, get involved, meet people you wouldn’t otherwise meet. Come alone, come with a friend, just come open to the experience. If that doesn’t sound like you, we might not be your vibe. 🚨

Meeting new people doesn’t always have to happen over a drink.
Sometimes it’s easier when you’re doing something together.
After playing volleyball together this summer, we asked the community what else you’d like to play. The answer was pretty clear: you wanted more.

So we’re trying something new.
🏐 Volleyball
🏸 Badminton
🏓 Table Tennis
Every Sunday, we’ll have 2 hours to play, move around, try different sports and meet people along the way.
We’ll start with a mix of activities. Grab a racket, jump on the table, join a game and play whatever you fancy.

At the same time, we’ll have a dedicated volleyball area where beginners can learn the basics, warm up and get comfortable with the game before jumping into a proper match.
Later in the session, the volleyball games will get going, while badminton and table tennis stay part of the mix. Stick with what you enjoy, switch things up or try something completely new.

Never played before? Perfect. This isn’t about being the best player in the room. It’s about getting involved, having fun and getting to know people while doing something together.
Come solo. Pick a sport. Meet some people. Come back next Sunday and do it again.

### Good to know

Some things feel obvious. Until you meet someone who sees them completely differently.
Your partner asks you to stop seeing a friend because they think that friend is attracted to you.
Reasonable boundary or controlling?
This edition of Beyond Small Talk is an experiment in disagreement, grey areas and seeing things from another perspective.
Throughout the evening, we'll put you in different situations around trust, attraction, loyalty, privacy and ask you to decide where you stand.
You'll physically pick a side, then sit down with people who chose differently.
Why did they make that choice? Why did you make yours? And where exactly do you draw the line?
There are no right answers and no winning side. You don't need to convince anyone, and you definitely don't need to agree.
The point is to get past the usual small talk and have the kind of conversations we rarely have with people we've just met.
Come curious. Pick a side. Hear theirs.
You might leave seeing something differently.