Try new activities and meet new people with The Big Meet - by Farjana Khan - Camden Rise

Young people's campaigner and first-year law student Farjana Khan writes about an easy-to-access online platform she's been working with to help young people in Camden to meet new people and try out new activities.

The Big Meet - https://www.thebigmeet.io - is an online platform to connect young people and students through the best activities, attractions, restaurants and experiences in London. Users create ‘meet-ups’ at venues and get others to join. To improve accessibility, there are awesome discounts around London to incentivise real-life connections - you can see some of them under ‘our partners’ on the website. 
 
The Big Meet works with a fantastic range of university societies, young professional groups, charities and more to take the hassle out of planning social activities at some of the best venues around London and to offer unrivalled accessibility through discounted prices.
 
The platform is completely free to use and maximises discounts from venues, as it takes no commission. The aim is to empower young people and students to connect in real-life and bring back a sense of community to London, while supporting local businesses.

I know that Camden has a vibrant young population and has a large out-of-London community, who I think would eagerly welcome an initiative that makes it easier to get the best out of the city, while growing their network and being part of something special.

How to download The Big Meet onto your phone

Search ‘The Big Meet’ on the App or Play Store, or download via their website: https://www.thebigmeet.io

How it works

Say you want to try something new around London or want to visit one of your favourite spots - but you have no-one to visit with. You can search the platform for a cool activity, restaurant, bar, attraction, café or experience and either join existing ‘meet-ups’ happening at that venue, or easily and simply host a meet-up of your own.
 
You can either make this meet-up public and wait for other users to join, within the age and gender restrictions that you set (you still need to accept all join requests, so you can control who joins), or you can make the meet-up completely private and just invite your friends - it will then be hidden from other app users.
 
Why The Big Meet was created

The modern world is abysmal at providing solutions to the question 'How do I make friends as a young adult?' After starting as a young professional and especially in a new city, I realised the weight of not being able to answer this question myself. 
 
The Big Meet means you can form meaningful connections with real people, through shared experiences at some amazing venues across London and the world - and it's a great way to combat the loneliness epidemic among young people that’s being shamelessly swept under the rug by society. 
 
It gives young people, especially students, the chance to experience the best of London and not be confined to their student campuses. Therefore, using the fact that it's completely free for both the user and partner venues, we’re hoping the awesome discounts we’ve been able to agree and further deals, will open up London to those who have not had this opportunity so far.
 
Who is it for?

Anyone who is looking to rediscover authentic and meaningful connections with real people through shared experiences at some of the best venues around London, while supporting local businesses and saving you money on otherwise out-of-budget activities and experiences.

About me

I'm a first-year LLB law student and have been involved with Camden since 2018. I spent six years on Camden Youth Council and am currently part of Camden Youth: Tell Them, where I co-produced two health campaigns, Look After YOU and Step Into Our Shoes. I've also taken part in awareness initiatives like In Camden We Call It Out, which is helping to tackle violence against women and girls.

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak at Camden’s Full Council Debate, where I addressed the NHS’s 10-year plan and shared my thoughts on the changes I’d like to see regarding young people's health and how they are treated.

I’ve engaged in all these activities because I’m passionate about creating positive change in Camden, making it a safer and a more enjoyable place for myself and my peers.

By Farjana Khan