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Making friends as an adult can be difficult, particularly after moving, changing jobs or losing the everyday contact that once came with work and study. Across different communities, people are finding that regular activities can provide a practical route into new friendships.
Research from the Institute for Public Policy Research found that the number of young people in England with no close friends has risen fivefold since 2014. One in 20 reported having no close friends at all.
The experiences of people joining local groups suggest that connection does not always begin with a formal search for friendship. It can start with a hobby, a class, a performance or a low-pressure social gathering.
Shared interests can make introductions easier
Rhiannon, 35, moved a few towns away after separating from her husband. In Mayfield, East Sussex, she joined the Yarners, a weekly knitting and crochet group, in February.
She described the group as “a lifeline” and a “calm and supportive space”. Meeting people who already shared her interest in making things gave her a natural reason to return and talk with others. Rhiannon said that having local friends also means she now has people she could call for help if she were in trouble.
For Chris, 32, a local games shop offered a similar opening. Growing older, Covid-related isolation and having no peers of a similar age at work had contributed to him having no local friends. He found a welcoming environment at board and card game evenings costing £3 a session.
Chris said he believed it was vital for mental health to have a safe “third space” where people can develop relationships, skills and experiences without relying on work or a partner to fill that role.
Regular activities create repeated contact
For people working from home, the loss of casual interaction can be especially noticeable. Rebecca, 31, an NHS project support officer in Bristol, said she missed everyday face-to-face social contact while working remotely.
She joined exercise classes at her local leisure centre and now attends pilates, weights and body conditioning classes about three times a week. She also met a new friend through the Bristol Girls Facebook group and encouraged her to join the classes.
In Newcastle upon Tyne, Ben, 35, found community through the People’s Theatre after leaving his job as a primary school teacher. He joined the non-professional community theatre company in 2017, has performed in about 20 productions and said he met some of his closest friends through the theatre.
The relationships extend beyond rehearsals and performances, with members also taking part in social gatherings. The combination of shared work and time together outside it gives people more than one way to get to know each other.
Groups can also connect people across distance
Ria, 27, moved from Mumbai to London five years ago and later relocated to Reading. Maintaining friendships made in London became harder, and she described experiencing “acute loneliness”.
In May, she created a WhatsApp group to bring her London friends together. It grew through friends of friends and Instagram to 70 people. The London Coffee Club now holds relaxed, agenda-free cafe meetups for groups of five to 10.
The format keeps the focus on meeting people rather than following a programme. That can be useful for someone who wants social contact but may find a large, highly structured event daunting.
Small events can grow into wider communities
Chloe, 27, and her friend Sarah, 30, created the Girls Collective after Chloe moved back to Hertfordshire and felt lonely. They organise activities such as keyring making and line dancing, giving women the chance to meet while trying something new.
The first event attracted 65 people through TikTok videos. The community chat has since grown to 500 women, and more than 250 people have attended events. Sarah said members had formed friendships of their own and met outside the group.
That pattern appears in several of these communities: an organised activity provides the first point of contact, but the resulting friendships do not necessarily remain limited to the original group.
What these examples offer
- Start with an interest. A craft, sport, game or performance can make conversation feel less forced.
- Look for regular contact. Weekly groups and recurring classes give relationships time to develop.
- Choose the scale that feels manageable. A cafe meetup for five to 10 people and a larger community event offer different ways to participate.
- Allow friendships to grow gradually. The first goal can simply be returning to a place where people recognise you.
For adults experiencing isolation, these stories show several routes into local connection. Friendship may begin with a shared activity, but a reliable community can eventually become a source of support, belonging and relationships that continue beyond the original event.
AI tools were used to assist with the preparation of this article.
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