The SCW Story

South Coast Women was an idea that’s blossomed into a real passion project.

It started with me. I wanted a way to connect with other women and find company for all those activities I’d rather not do alone.

We all know that feeling; you’re keen to get out and about, but your mates are busy. Or there’s something you want to do or try, and nobody you know is interested, so you just miss out.

I’ve always loved the idea of joining a club for bushwalking or rock climbing, but the anxiety of doing that is too great for me. The ‘new kid’ feeling, the pressure to conform (“will they think I’m weird?”, “I know I’ll put my foot in my mouth and talk too much” – OMG, all those thoughts!). Groups aren’t always a comfortable fit, especially if you’re neurodiverse like me.

I thought how nice it would be if there was a way to do a random activity with random people I haven’t met yet, without the pressure of a formal setting. Its also important to me that this its a safe space where I can feel comfortable being myself, and also have the peace of mind that there’s some security in place to ensure I feel physically safe too.

Then, of course, I started down the route of how nice it would be if there was a group of local women who had insider info on women’s stuff, like women’s health.

Since I couldn’t find anything that fit the bill, a platform where you can easily find activities to do without any pressure, I decided to build it myself.

I’m making it user-friendly, packed with the features we need, and designed with solid foundations and the flexibility to grow, because I know the wonderful women of the South Coast will come up with ideas I haven’t even thought of yet!

It’s too much to tackle a project this size on my own, so I roped in my family and I’m lucky to have my mum, Gail, and my niece, Ashleigh, alongside me. They’re a huge help, giving me their honest (and much-needed!) feedback and making sure I don’t go too far down the rabbit hole.

And I also need to give a shout-out to my friend Sam, who not only created the fantastic logo but has also been a constant source of support and encouragement, giving me the push I needed to get things going.

Also, a big thank you to Jemma Tribe, the third person I shared my idea with, whose enthusiastic response, “That’s a great idea!” gave me some more confidence in believing my idea could be a thing. She was so encouraging that she suggested I speak about it at the International Women’s Day lunch a few weeks later! The response was amazing so now my idea is becoming a reality.

So, it’s a 3-generation Pritchard push, with the support of some amazing friends, to create a fantastic online community where women on the South Coast can connect, find their people, and get out there to enjoy everything our beautiful region has to offer.

I’m aiming to have Phase 1 ready for mid-April 2025, and I can’t wait to share it with you all!