For thousands of people, remote employment has transformed how we live, work, and connect with our local communities. However, social isolation is still one of the biggest challenges faced by remote workers.
At Grow Remote, we are committed to helping employees work, live and participate in their local communities. We do this by supporting volunteers to host social connection experiences for local remote and hybrid employees. From coffee meetups and social brunches to outdoor adventures and wellness workshops, these gatherings create meaningful opportunities for remote workers to connect, collaborate, and support local causes.
Here’s our headline data from January and February 2025.
- 45 social connection events
- 22 unique communities across 12 counties nationwide
- Over 593 remote workers registered via Eventbrite
- More than 384 remote Workers attended a Grow Remote event
- 95% met with interesting people and had fun
- 76% feel more connected to their community
- 31% learned more about remote employers and opportunities
There were 25 After work socials (56%) and 20 group activities (44%), with a 65% conversion from registrations to attendees. The range of group activities included brunch, coffee, trad music, rock climbing, craft and sport, music bingo, hiking, an art gallery tour, mini golf and yoga!
Spotlight on 3 Events
Grow Remote Ennistymon, January 2025
One of our newest communities is in Ennistymon, County Clare. According to the 2022 census, there are 37 remote workers living in Ennistymon. Led by our Local Leader, Spela, our events have attracted 63 registrations since June 2024. This shows a clear need for connection and Spela is building something really special!
“Very well organised as always by our host, Spela. Wonderful company – new friends made! Can’t wait for the next one!” – Event survey, January 2025
Grow Remote Greystones, January 2025
Another young Grow Remote community is our group in Greystones. According to the last census, there are 1,970 remote workers in Greystones (57% of the working population). Led by a brilliant team of local leaders – Rachel, Justin and Ronan – the group usually come together over drinks on the last Friday of the month.
“Great way to network and learn about remote work culture and opportunities in the area.” – Event survey, January 2025
Grow Remote Tullamore, February 2025
The Grow Remote Community is an active group, meeting up for various cultural events, walks, after work drinks and the national spring clean! Local Leader Mary Hensey has connected the group to the local Tidy Towns initiative and flew the Grow Remote flag on a clean-up in February.
What do attendees say about the Grow Remote experience?
At Grow Remote, we listen to our community. One of the ways we do is is through our post-event survey, which we share after every single event with every remote worker who registers via our booking platform Eventbrite.
As a result, we know that the sense of connection is highly valued at Grow Remote events. According to our survey feedback, many attendees value the chance to “socialise,” “make new friends,” and “exchange ideas”, with networking often seen as a key benefit. Phrases like “great way to meet fellow remote workers”, “fantastic opportunity to meet others”, and “great community” appear repeatedly in our survey data.
95% of attendees at Grow Remote events in January and February said they “met with interesting people and had fun”.
Attendees often describe the events as “friendly,” “welcoming,” and “relaxing,” with hosts often praised for their engagement and warmth (e.g., “Ben is such a great host”)
Examples of testimonials from Grow Remote survey, January and February 2025:
- “Very friendly and welcoming,”
- “Warm welcome and a free drink too.”
- “It’s an amazing initiative aimed at combating loneliness”
In January and February, survey respondents described Grow Remote events as “well-organised,” “fun,” and “interesting”, with specific mentions of enjoyable activities like rock climbing, laughing yoga, and bingo music night.
- “It was great fun and the subsided price made it a no brainer”
- “The organisers had some great local farm food for lunch”
- “I love that a drink per person is included.”
76% of attendees agreed that they felt “more connected to their local community” as a result of attending a Grow Remote event in January and February 2025.
Upcoming Events
Looking ahead, Grow Remote has an exciting lineup of events planned for the coming weeks. Some highlights include:
- After Work Social, Castlerea – 21st March 2025
- Sunday Afternoon Games, Limerick – 23rd March 2025
- After Work Social, Westport – 28th March 2025
- Daffodil Day Wrap Party, Kinsale – 28th March 2025
- Daffodil Day Coffee Fundraiser, Longford – 28th March 2025
- Daffodil Day Coffee Fundraiser, Skerries – 28th March 2025
Stay tuned for more details on these events and join the movement to build stronger, more connected remote work communities across Ireland!
