One in three Australians feel lonely, and one in six Australians experience severe loneliness, but that’s not for 37-year-old Bryant Evans.

He has created Canberra Social & Active, a social group designed to help Canberrans connect. 

In 2023, an inquiry conducted by Ending Loneliness Together for Loneliness Awareness Week found Canberra, at 40 per cent of participants, had the loneliest people in the nation.

A 2024 inquiry by the ACT Legislative Assembly into loneliness and social isolation recommended a Minister for Loneliness, a social connection strategy, a public awareness campaign and a social calendar of community events. 

“My underlying philosophy is that, when we are kids, we often have time to play and set aside time to hang out with a friend,” he says. 

“When you get older, it gets very easy to forget about that and this group allows us to play again, meet new people and form friendships in a really natural way.” 

With activities ranging from hiking, bouldering, sunset drinks, coffee catch ups and dog walks, Bryant says they regularly try to mix up their experiences to give participants – an even balance of men and women – something new to enjoy. 

“We almost always have 20 to 30 per cent of new people every time, so there’s never really an ‘in’ or an ‘out’ group,” he says. 

“People have told me that their mental health has improved due to the group, which is really great and fulfilling. 

“[Creating social connections] is a part of being human that we often put to the side for other tasks that we see as more important.

“But, why are you alive if you aren’t forming connections? 

“When I look back on my life, I won’t be thinking about how much I saved on my fridge, I’ll be thinking about the experiences that I’ve had with people and the fun stories we’ve made.” 

Open for those in their 20s and 30s, Bryant says the organisation has grown organically. 

“People want something like this so badly that it markets itself,” he says. 

Seeing anywhere from 30 to 50 people attending each event, Bryant says there has never been a problem with conversation. 

Participants range from those straight out of university to those with children hoping to broaden their connections. 

“A lot of the time there are people who attend who are new to Canberra, so it’s a great way for people to start building their network,” he says. 

Established in March, Bryant says it’s amazing to think there were so many people walking the same paths, entering the same buildings and getting on the same public transport as him that would later become close friends. 

“I’ve met so many really cool people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise,” he says. 

“If I hadn’t started it, they would still be strangers, and that’s reason enough.”

More on Facebook at Canberra Social & Active