SINCE it began in May 2021, the Sunrise Social Belfast has grown from strength to strength seeing hundreds hiking Cavehill summit at the crack of dawn.

The team behind the Sunrise Social Belfast are all volunteers from different parts of the North, who range in age and gender; unknown to each other before joining and are now great friends as a result. We spoke with two of the Sunrise Social Belfast volunteers, Joanne Harkin and Danielle McKay this week on its success and what inspires them to regularly hike in the early hours.

‘‘The simplicity, inclusivity and welcoming nature of the events is probably what is so appealing about them," said Joanne.

‘‘Sunrise Social is run by a team of volunteers who do it completely for free in our spare time alongside our full-time jobs, so people know we're not out to make anything from them attending. Sunrise Social is simply about creating a greater sense of community in Belfast and Northern Ireland.

‘‘Each sunrise event starts with a group of strangers coming together in the middle of the night to watch the rest of the city wake up, simply hoping for a beautiful sunrise each week, but those people leave feeling like they're a part of something special.’’

Since its establishment last May, the two have said that in the height of summer over 100-150 people attended the Cavehill hike at sunrise. In general, there might be between 20-50 people attending all year round with regulars in attendance rain, hail or shine.

The events which were weekly until recently now take place once a month on a Saturday and once a month during the week with events taking place throughout the month such as stand up paddleboarding, yoga, sea swimming and coffee catch ups.

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Danielle said: ‘‘In 2021, we went to Cavehill every single Saturday for sunrise except for one or two mornings when a storm was forecast.’

‘‘This year, we moved to a few other locations during particularly bad spells of high winds, such as Hazelbank/Loughshore on the Shore Road. We also went to Helen’s Bay a few mornings for a sunrise sea dip.

‘‘We are continually evolving by responding to feedback from the public. Not everyone feels able to hike a mountain for sunrise and we want as many people as possible to have the opportunity to attend a Sunrise Social event, so we are creating opportunities to meet at different times and locations. To join, all you need to do is follow us on Instagram or Facebook.’’

The organisers have credited Newcastle woman Caroline McKenna who inspired a series of sunrise social events in Australia where she currently resides and in Ireland. 

The sunrise social events have gained momentum all over the country with Newcastle, the North Coast and Tyrone all having their own individual groups. With its rise in popularity we asked the Sunrise Social Belfast volunteers what they found beneficial about attending the events. 

‘‘At the end of our Sunrise Social events, you will always hear people expressing how much they enjoyed it, so it undoubtedly has such a positive effect on both mental and physical health," said Danielle.

‘‘When we first started this group, society was slowly emerging from 14 difficult months of social restrictions and lockdowns into a 'phased return to life'. In Belfast, like everywhere else, mental health was at an all-time low, people felt isolated, disorientated and a lot of people needed something to look forward to.

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‘‘Coming to Sunrise Social on a Saturday morning put a lot of smiles back on people's faces. We often do a short meditation or gratitude practice with everyone at the top of Cavehill. We're encouraging people to appreciate the simple things in life: the sunrise, the fresh air, the sense of community, their mental and physical resilience.’’

Waking for sunrise can be the most daunting element about the experience, however the two reassured readers that the advantages far out way the cons.

‘‘To be honest, the early rises never seem to get easier, but it's all about seeing the benefits of it," said Joanne. "Getting an early night obviously helps massively and when you don't feel like doing that, you have to remind yourself that the sunrise could be spectacular so you should just get to sleep!’’

‘‘Even when the sunrise isn't great, you're getting fresh air, exercise and interacting with new people, which all feels very wholesome and heart-warming, so keeping the benefits in mind helps with tackling the early starts.

‘‘Preparation the night before is really the key though: setting out the clothes you plan to wear before getting into bed will help you roll out of bed in the morning. Pack a bag with everything in it that you want to bring with you, and leave your travel mug next to the kettle so you can grab a hot drink to bring with you in the morning. Setting several alarms is also essential.

‘‘It’s hard to get up so early in the morning, but when we all tackle the short climb to the top of Cavehill together, there's a sense of achievement that we've made it to the top and that in itself is something to celebrate!’’ 

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The Sunrise Social will be taking place this Saturday at Cavehill, if you’re interested in attending but apprehensive about going on your own, rest assured – the volunteers are here to help!

‘‘A lot of people will come to the events on their own, as they are hoping to meet like-minded people, and many of them have formed friendships with those they have met. That's really the purpose of the group, to create a feeling of community in Belfast,’’ Danielle enthused.

‘‘The main reason the volunteer team is there is to look out for people who've come alone, so we will walk around and greet people on arrival, and if they're alone we'll walk with them and try to introduce them to others who've come alone. We encourage people to send us a direct message on the Instagram and Facebook pages if they're coming alone, so we can keep an eye out for them.’’

The photographs were taken by attendees of the Sunrise Social events including the third picture by photographer Ciaran Doyle.