May 2026 Cover Story

13 Years of get2gether!

This May, we are celebrating 13 years of love, friendship and community at get2gether. This month’s cover shows members Andrew, Joanne and George at last year’s Anniversary Party, where the theme was ‘Our Rights, Our Community’.

Our 2026 Anniversary Party will take place on Thursday 21st May, and we can’t wait to celebrate with everyone! In this month’s blog, we look back at how get2gether began, meet two members involved in planning this year’s celebration, and share what’s coming up for our community.

How it all began

Thirteen years ago, a launch party was held at The Corn Exchange in Edinburgh. Over 200 people came together for a night of celebration and connection. That night was the beginning of get2gether and our first ever social event!

At the time, there were fewer than 100 members. Today, we are a community of over 1,200 members across Edinburgh, the Lothians, and beyond!

From the start, the get2gether community has been about creating opportunities where people can build confidence, feel less isolated, grow in resilience, and have control over how they live their life. Even through challenging times, including the pandemic, members stayed connected and supported each other. The values of love, friendship and community that get2gether was built on in 2013 are still at the heart of everything we do today.

Planning this year’s celebration

This year’s Anniversary Party has been shaped by our Anniversary Planning Committee. The group met in March and April to share ideas, plan the event, and decide how the celebration would run on the night. The focus has been on making sure it reflects the community and what members want from the event.

get2gether member Dania who is part of this year’s planning committee, told us:

“I can’t believe it’s 13 years already. I remember coming along to my first Big Night Out and I didn’t feel confident. Now I’m part of planning this year’s Anniversary Party!”- Dania, get2gether member

John joined get2gether in 2021 and is part of the planning committee for this year’s Anniversary Party. This will be his first time attending a get2gether event in person.

At the April meeting, the group agreed on roles for the night. John will be volunteering at the Grab a Gab with Ambassadors Natalie and Michael. We are really looking forward to seeing him there. If you see him on the night, please come and say hello!

He told us:

“After the first planning meeting I knew the Anniversary Party had to be my first in-person event. I just couldn’t miss it!”- John, get2gether member

Looking forward

13 years on, get2gether is still growing, but the most important things have stayed the same. Love, friendship and community. From a small launch party in 2013 to a community of over 1,200 members today, get2gether is a place where people feel welcome, included and themselves.

As we celebrate this milestone, we are also looking ahead to more events, more opportunities, and more chances for members to connect and take part. John has built friendships through get2gether online events since joining in 2021. Over the past five years, he has got to know other members through the online community. This year’s Anniversary Party will be his first in-person get2gether event. After five years of connecting online and building close friendships, he will finally meet those friends face to face at the celebration.

“I’ve spent a lot of time planning how to get there and I can’t wait. It will be a late night for me, later than I would normally stay out, and I’m really looking forward to it. I’m excited to finally see the friends I have made in person and have a good night together.”- John

This reflects an important part of get2gether: connections can grow in different ways. Online events can help people build friendships, feel included, and build confidence before meeting in person.

We are really looking forward to celebrating together at our Anniversary Party on Thursday 21st May. Full details are in your May Community Magazine. This event is open to all get2gether members.

Not a member yet? Click HERE to fill out our membership application form, or email office@get2gether.org.uk for more information about joining the get2gether community!