A local events company, which was launched in January of this year by co-founders Richa Shilpi and Shitie Garg, is hosting its first event in Kingston next week. 

In an exclusive interview with Nub News, Shilpi said that she and Garg came up with the idea of The Pure Social because they "always like to try new things".

She added: "So we wanted to bring something to the community where they too can try new things. 

"As we are both from India, we tend to go out for food a lot, whether that's for a birthday, celebration, or just a get-together, but that seems to be the only activity we do. So, we want to break that pattern and to cultivate something new as there's a lot more that can be done with friends, family, and partners than just going out and eating."

"There's so much to do out there whether it's a games evening or a sip and paint session or something to do with crafts. That was the main idea behind The Pure Social. We want to bring people together, try new experiences, put our phones away, and relax and unwind."

Shilpi, who resides in Heston, Hounslow, with her husband and 15-year-old son and has lived in the UK on and off since 2008, attended her first Sip and Paint session alone two years ago. 

Despite being nervous and "horrible at painting" she says she is "a real sucker for experiences" and "loves trying out new things", so braved the event alone and really enjoyed it. 

Thus, she encourages people to attend her events solo if they do not have anyone to bring with them.

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She said: "Sometimes people are hesitant to attend social events alone, so we want to create a space wherein anybody feels comfortable and everybody is welcome."

The Pure Social's events are open to everyone, particularly those under 60, but kids must be accompanied by an adult. 

The Pure Social held its first event in February in Hounslow, being a Sip 'n' Paint session and aligning it with Galentines and International Women's Day. 

The event was completely sold out and was "well received" says Shilpi. 

She added: "Considering I only painted a heart at my first Sip 'n' Paint session, I was surprised to see how beautiful some of the paintings were. 

"The guests really put their heart and energy into it and that made me really happy."

The Pure Social's second event, also in Hounslow, was a Mother's Day social in March called 'Mum and Me' whereby mothers brought along their children to participate in arts and crafts and games with prizes.

"It was a lovely, cozy little get-together," Shilpi said.

Next Friday (17 April), The Pure Social is hosting its first event in Kingston, which will be a bingo and games night at Old London Road Cafe.

Speaking about why they wanted to expand into Kingston, Shilpi said: "We always go to Kingston for shopping and we love the Riverside. So Kingston has always been on our radar - it's a lovely area."

She says that she and Garg, also from Heston, are looking for more cafes across the borough to host future events in.

The Pure Social is also hosting a Sip 'n' Paint event in The Patch in Twickenham on Saturday, 25 April

Speaking about why she thinks it is important to bring people together, Shilpi said: "I think it's very important because, for someone who is not from the country itself, it's very important that you find your tribe, and that being said, it doesn't necessarily mean, they have to be from your own culture. 

"I think it's very important for different people to meet different people as this will give them more acceptance and tolerance. And that's why I think it's very important for me to create a community like this - one that is warm and welcoming.

"I want to create a space like this because it can be hard as adults to make friends and find the right people.

"That's not to say you have to make lifelong friends at our events — though that would of course be lovely. But even just meeting new people and having real, personal interaction can open you up and broaden your world."

She added: This isn't my full-time job — I work in Customer Success, but I wanted to build something outside of work, especially around experiences, so here we are talking about The Pure Social.

By qualification and by passion, Garg is a designer and has spent over 18 years bringing creativity to life through design. 

Beyond her profession, she is a fun-loving, party-going mum to an "amazing 11-year-old — by choice and with pride". 

Over the years, her creative journey has grown and evolved. Today, alongside design, she has also ventured into corporate gifting, promotional gifting, and curating and hosting unique events through The Pure Social.

The Pure Social also has plans to host more events in the local area in the future. 

You can find out more about The Pure Social and its events on its website here.

The Pure Social is a sponsor of Nub News.

Without their community-minded sponsorship, we wouldn't be able to bring you local news free from overly-intrusive ads, pop-ups and clickbait.