Walking Mends My Mind

A Publication by Gary @ Write Up Ur Street-Fife

I caught up with Lauryn from Women Who Wander, and the pleasure was all mine. A conversation so inspirational with such enthusiasm and drive from such a determined young lady with desire and passion to help others. 

Overcoming Anxiety & Building Community: The Story Behind ‘Women Who Wander’ highlights both the incredible success and the very real human behind its creation. When you look at a thriving community group, it’s easy to assume it was built by a seasoned team with an elaborate master plan. But more often than not, the most impactful initiatives stem from a single, deeply personal human need.

For Lauryn, the 22-year-old founder of Women Who Wander, that need was simple: connection.

I sat down with the Dunfermline local to find out more about her journey, from a lonely night in bed to leading a fast-growing movement that is breaking down barriers for women across the community.

The spark turning loneliness into action: Like many young people, Lauryn found herself facing a common modern dilemma after leaving school. Your social circles shift, life changes, and making meaningful friendships suddenly feels incredibly daunting.

“I have friends, but when you come out of high school, you’re often stuck with your high school circle or your co-workers,” 

Lauryn shares. “Other than that, how do you make friends? It takes vulnerability to put yourself out there.”

For Lauryn, who is autistic, finding those connections came with extra hurdles. “I struggle with communication. I need to have a meaningful connection; I can’t just be that person someone goes shopping with. Because of my autism, I really struggle to make those bonds.”

One evening, while her boyfriend was out, she realised she just wanted someone to go for a walk with. She also knew that for women, going out walking alone often carries an underlying layer of anxiety.

“That’s a main problem for women—going for walks and being scared that somebody is walking behind you. There’s always that feeling in the back of your mind.”

Thinking she’d just start a tiny, informal group to keep herself and other women safe and accompanied, she set up an online page. She went to sleep, and by the morning, the idea had completely blown up.

Navigating the Reality of Growth and Autism: While the rapid growth of Women Who Wander proved the community desperately needed this space, it also brought unexpected challenges. Managing a sudden influx of people and logistics is a massive undertaking for anyone—but it can be extremely exhausting when masking neurodivergency. Lauryn admits candidly. Most of the time I’ll go home, walk through the door, and just feel completely done. But that’s good because I’m coping and everything that I do is so worth it just to see people getting out, communicating and really having fun. 

Learning to Delegate: Lauryn doesn’t see herself as a leader more of a facilitator.  As an experienced community organiser myself, I shared some vital experience and advice.

Take it slow: Don’t burn yourself out.

Empower others: Get volunteers to take ownership of specific walks so you can focus on the big picture.

Tap into lived experience: Use the wealth of knowledge your walkers bring to the table.

Stepping Over the Invisible Barriers: One of the most beautiful aspects of Women Who Wander is its commitment to inclusivity. Unlike institutional support systems where people get stuck on waiting lists or face rigid criteria, Lauryn’s group meets people exactly where they are.

“The doctors don’t think about the barriers in place—transport, childcare, finances,” Lauryn says. “They just tick you off a list. Whereas we actually care. We aren’t just saying, ‘here’s a signpost, off you go.’ We’re saying, ‘we’re going to stick by you through it all.’”

Breaking the Ice: For new members, the biggest hurdle isn’t the physical walk—it’s the mental anxiety of showing up for the first time. There is a common misconseption and people assume everyone in the group already knows each other, however Lauryn explains the reality is that “Every single person who comes along is anxious, and we all feel exactly the same way.”

Lauryn goes on to explain about a secret weapon that is used within the group that secret weapon being our four legged friends, which serve as the perfect social icebreaker. “It helps focus on the dog rather than the person making the women feel less anxious.”

What’s Next for Women Who Wander? What started as a simple walking group in Dunfermline has quickly expanded its horizons. Lauryn and her team are already delivering lots more exciting groups not just in the town but branching out to other towns in Fife. 

The Social Groups: The walks were just the beginning and the group has already expanded to include:

A Monday knitting and crochet group.

A genealogy and local history archive walking group.

A craft group.

A Couch to 5K program.

A Pram Group specifically for mothers with buggies.

And that’s not all there’s lots more still to come, the next major step for the group is gathering lived experience data, Lauryn wants to understand exactly why women struggle to access support. By hosting seminars and listening sessions, she wants to challenge the systems that expect women to fit into a box, rather than creating a box that fits the individual.

A Final Thought: Lauryn’s story is a powerful reminder that you don’t need to feel perfectly equipped, completely confident, or neurotypical to change your community. You just need to be willing to take the first step and as Lauryn so nicely puts it, “I’ve only got one shot at this life. I might as well make the most of it.”

If you want to explore the hidden gems of Dunfermline’s woodlands, bring your dog along for some fresh air, or even try another one of the amazing activities that are on offer, whatever you choose Women Who Wander has a space ready for you.

Not quite ready and feeling nervous? why not reach out, grab a coffee with Lauryn first if and discuss taking that first step.