Katie Anderson, a 19-year-old student at the University of Lincoln, found friendship and community through bell-ringing rather than typical university activities like sports or academic clubs. She became president of her school's bell-ringing society after learning the hobby from her partner’s family. The article highlights how young people are increasingly joining bell-ringing societies to combat loneliness and social isolation in an age dominated by digital technology, despite the perception that it is a traditional pastime for older generations.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
- Published
Many students join sports teams or academic societies to make friends at university.
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students → publish → university
Katie Anderson chose bell-ringing instead.
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Anderson → choose → ringing
The 19-year-old says the hobby has helped her build friendships, learn new skills and spend less time looking at screens.
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her → say → screens
Katie says bell-ringing is a "very social thing to do" and a good way to connect with people away from her phone.
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ringing → say → phone
"It's nice not having something where you're sat on a screen all day," she says.
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she → have → screen
"You get to do something a bit different with your time.
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You → get → time
When she arrived at the University of Lincoln last year, she joined its bell-ringing society after learning the hobby from her partner's family.
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she → arrive → family
Now president of the society, she wants to challenge the idea that bell-ringing is only for older generations.
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ringing → want → generations
Despite being the most digitally connected generation, young people are more likely to experience loneliness than older age groups, according to national data, external.
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people → connect → data
Bell-ringers say their hobby offers an antidote, bringing people together to learn, practice and socialise face-to-face.
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hobby → say → face
"I love the socialising," Katie says.
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Katie → love → socialising
"You're working with people to create this wonderful sound, but also there's always something new to learn.
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You → work → sound
"You get to learn stuff in such a social way, which I just really enjoy."
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I → get → which
Katie says bell-ringing helps people slow down in a fast-moving world, even if it is not always relaxing.
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it → say → world
"You're learning quite a lot," she says.
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she → learn → lot
"I wouldn't say it's quite relaxing in that way, but you're not in the world of technology when you're doing it."
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you → say → it
Katie says there is a misconception that only older people take part in the tradition and there is a national push to get more young people involved.
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people → say → tradition
One of the places keen to attract more young ringers is St Mary Magdalene Church in Gedney, Lincolnshire.
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One → attract → Gedney
Tower captain, John Bennett, 94, says he would love to see more young people take up the hobby.
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people → say → hobby
John, who started ringing when he was 14, says it is "excellent exercise for body and brain" and says learning the rhythms can be "quite complicated".
"
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learning → start → rhythms
It is very fascinating, you get hooked by it, as I was when I was young," he says.
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he → hook → it
"You meet all sorts of people from all walks of life... you're sure of companionship."
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you → meet → companionship
John says he will keep going "as long as my legs and arms hold up" but adds he would be "overjoyed" if a young person took the ropes from him.
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person → say → him
Tina Stoecklin, president of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR), says the hobby can be particularly beneficial for young people.
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hobby → say → people
"There's a lot of mental health and social benefits," she says.
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she → be → health
"It just gets you out and talking to people and interacting with people in a really safe space."
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It → get → space
The organisation recently launched a Young Bell Ringers Hub, designed to help attract more young people to the activity by providing resources and support.
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organisation → launch → resources
Tina, who has been ringing for 40 years, says one of the biggest attractions is the sense of belonging it creates.
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it → ring → belonging
"It's a chance where you make friends for a lifetime," she says.
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she → make → lifetime
Tina also says bell-ringing offers a rare opportunity for different generations to come together, connecting people of all ages and from all walks of life.
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generations → say → life
"We are like a second family that you can count on when you need it," she says.
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she → count → it
"Actually putting your hands on a bell rope and ringing with other people... you get that camaraderie and you get that sense of village.
"
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you → put → village
For some people, when they tried out bell-ringing, they found their people and that's them sorted for the rest of their lives.
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that → try → lives
That was certainly the case when I learned to ring."
Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North.
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I → learn → North
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