In an era where social media promises connection but often delivers isolation, a growing number of people find themselves wellness-informed yet wellness-lonely. They know the benefits of cold therapy and breathwork, understand the importance of movement and mindfulness, but struggle to find genuine community around these practices. Enter brother and sister duo, Thea and Marius Hurley-Bennett and their Social Wellness Club—a London-based initiative that's rewriting the rules of how we approach both wellness and community building.

What started as a response to what they call "an epidemic of loneliness" has evolved into something much more profound: a blueprint for turning individual wellness pursuits into collective experiences. Through everything from high-energy workouts to educational keynotes, ice baths to coffee meetups, Social Wellness Club is proving that the path to feeling your best self doesn't have to be walked alone.

However, what makes their approach particularly compelling is that it tackles two of modern wellness culture's biggest challenges simultaneously. First, the accessibility barrier, where premium wellness experiences often come with premium price tags that exclude many from participation. Second, the intimacy paradox—how to maintain the close-knit, welcoming atmosphere that makes the community special while scaling to reach the millions who need it.

As Social Wellness Club prepares to expand beyond London, Thea & Marius are grappling with questions that extend far beyond event planning. How do you bottle the magic of authentic human connection? Can technology enhance rather than replace real-world relationships? And perhaps most importantly, how do you ensure that as wellness becomes more accessible, it doesn't lose the very thing that makes it transformative: genuine community.

In this conversation, we explore how 2 founders are reimagining wellness as a collective journey, the practical strategies behind building lasting community bonds, and the vision for a world where healthy living isn't just normalised—it's shared.

Q1: The Social Wellness Club positions itself as addressing 'an epidemic of loneliness' by creating in-person connections. What specific strategies or approaches have you found most effective in building genuine community bonds among members, and how do you ensure newcomers feel welcomed into the existing social fabric?

We build genuine community bonds through a blend of in-person and online touchpoints, including our WhatsApp group, Instagram, and weekly newsletter. Our events are intentionally varied, ranging from high-energy workouts to keynote education talks, providing people with natural opportunities to connect and form habits together.

To welcome newcomers, we host free monthly Walk & Talks and Coffee Clubs across London. These low-barrier events provide a welcoming space to dip your toe into the community. From the moment someone arrives, alone or with friends, they're greeted by our ambassador team and brands, smoothing over that sometimes awkward arrival moment. Once in the community, we encourage participation in our community chats to co-create events, share learnings and arrange offline meetups with others you may have met through SWC. It’s this blend of structure that turns attendees into active community members.

Q2: Your mission mentions making wellness 'accessible by simplifying the journey to feeling your best self.' How do you balance offering premium wellness experiences (like red light therapy, ice baths, and recovery clubs) while maintaining accessibility for people from different economic backgrounds or wellness experience levels?

Accessibility is a top priority for us, and we ensure this through our pricing, giveaways, discounts, and freebies from our incredible brand partners. We’ve conducted market research on similar events in London and globally, and consciously price our events at a level that allows anyone to attend. This, alongside offering a range of free events, ensures that we provide people with access to things that are often expensive, flexibly and affordably.

As we grow and expand our brand partnerships, we’ll be able to continue giving back to the community, offering even more perks and benefits to our members. Our upcoming paid membership will further enhance this, unlocking deeper discounts, exclusive events, and first access to complimentary partner perks. As we grow, we become increasingly able to give back, making wellness both aspirational and attainable.

Q3: As SWC grows and potentially expands beyond London, how do you plan to maintain the intimate, welcoming atmosphere that members like Esti describe, while scaling your mission to 'normalise healthier living' to reach more people effectively?

Our vision is to see Social Wellness Clubs established in cities around the world, as the epidemic of loneliness and poor health is a global issue. As we scale, we’re focused on keeping the soul of SWC alive: human connection, community, and a sense of belonging.

For us, technology is a tool to enhance, not replace, real-world relationships. As one of our members, Esti, said: “I came for the yoga, but stayed for the people.” That’s the energy we’ll carry into every new city.