LIGHT CLUB GUIDES · UPDATED 27 OCTOBER 2026
How to start a winter check-in group with friends
A winter check-in group is a small agreement to stay in touch through the darker months. You do not have to organise a formal support group or find the right thing to say every day. Begin with people who want to be there for each other.
Invite a few people, individually and without pressure
Start with two or three friends you would be comfortable hearing from on an ordinary day. Ask whether a little regular contact through winter sounds welcome. Do not add people without asking or tell them they need the group. You can have different experiences of winter and still want some company. No one needs to share a diagnosis to belong.
Say what the group is for
A clear invitation is kinder than a vague promise: ‘Let’s check in with each other through winter. A small activity, a quick hello, and no need to be cheerful or explain a missed day.’ Agree the channel and timing. A group chat can be enough. If you use Light Club, the activity check-in closes at 9 AM London time, including British Summer Time, and conversation can stay in your own WhatsApp chat.
Agree what stays private
Keep invitations within the group. Do not repost someone’s words, photographs, name or activity elsewhere without their permission. In Light Club, members can see one another’s chosen names, check-ins and any earlier in-app notes. It is not an anonymous space. You can leave a group and control optional reminders. Choose what you are comfortable sharing and do not treat a friend’s silence as a public update about their wellbeing.
Make activities an invitation, not a test
If a small shared action sounds useful, keep it manageable. People can do their activities separately and choose different levels of effort. In Light Club, use the daily suggestion or the gentler option, then mark it done. A walk is an option, not an obligation to go out in poor conditions. Nobody needs to report a location or provide photographs as proof.
Be clear about the limits of a friendship group
You are offering contact and encouragement, not taking responsibility for managing someone’s mental health. Do not promise constant availability or that a check-in system will spot when someone needs help. If a friend wants professional support, encourage them to seek it and respect their choices. Light Club is not a monitored clinical service or an emergency response channel.
A first message you can copy
‘Winter can feel a bit lonely, and I’d like us to stay in touch. Fancy a small group where we check in with each other and try a manageable activity each morning? No pressure to be upbeat or keep a perfect streak. We could try a week and see how it feels.’ Add your agreed start day and private invitation. After a week, ask what people would like to keep or change.
Want to try it together?
Light Club is a free community for getting through winter together. Create a private group with friends and try a week of small activities and daily check-ins.
Get the free group starter kit ↗