Have you done an activity or hobby where you've made new friends?

[hedgehogsinthehedgerow]

And if so, what please. I would love to make some new friends this year. I have tried evening classes before a while back which was nice, but then when the course ended (8 weeks) nobody stayed in touch. I have tried the gym too but not met anyone there. I'm willing to give anything a try really except running or cycling! Any ideas?

I’ve made many friends through owning and walking my dog.

Pub quizes - my son has made loads of friends this way. He's out 3 nights a week with it. They're really good and often win a prize so on the whole what they win pays for the beer they drink. There are about 10 regulars that turn up but not every night. He's got to know about 3 really well that he counts as good friends that he has BBQs with, been to their flats for drinks, often have a meal out afterwards.

Book club

Ooh, how did you get started with the cat rescue?

Walking groups via meetups and Ramblers
There are lots of other interests groups on meetups too

I moved recently to a town where I didn't know anyone.

I joined bloody everything.

Two choirs, a brass band, went to church, went to coffee mornings, turned up at local Christmas fairs etc.

After a while you start making friends (and also work out which groups are friendly and which are not).

I don't go to so many groups now but I do have friends.

See if there are any Nextdoor neighbour type online sites, look in the to-do sections in local papers. There may be something you'd never thought of before.

Yes. I went to college as an adult learner, studied for 5 years and have made some friends for life.

Over the years I’ve joined three nice gym/spas and made a good friend at each one.

Ramblers is a good idea for walking groups, thanks I will try that.

Unfortunately a dog isn't a possibility because of work. I can imagine that's a lovely way to meet people. Horses too pricey but again sounds nice.

I'd like ideally to meet friends I see outside of the activity, over the longer term, but even just to have groups would be nice.

KarlaKK did your son go to the pub quiz with others he already knew? I like the idea of being in a pub quiz team.

So many great ideas on here, you are all brilliant.

Community gardening. Really lovely people. Satisfying work. Coffee & cake afterwards.

Take up golf you’ll definitely make friends. Most clubs have a ladies’ section

I have met many new friends through a book club. It is a book club where we only read books by the same specific author, an author which we were all interested in beforehand. That makes it easy to connect to each other, I think. We have a lot of fun! Sometimes we travel together to places with connection to the author and her books.

A Meet Up walking group and a language class

Whereabouts are you op?

Nope! But I find making friends difficult.

Spanish group. I've made lovely friends and have had a couple of trips to Spain with one of them.

Those are the sort of friends I'd like! What kind of organisation do you volunteer for?

He didn't know anyone. I think he just found out where they were being held and turned up initially. A range of ages - one woman in her late 50s (seen as the mother figure lol), a bunch of men in their 30s, a few women in their 30s and some in their 20s (my DS). Various backgrounds and jobs. About 10 in total but not everyone turned up to each quiz. That was a weekly quiz and since then he and a few others have branched off to about 3 other quizzes at different sites. There seems to be one to be found in various pubs every night. He's met loads of people and one of the other people in the circuit but not someone he teams up with knows someone really famous who held a pub quiz that my son and a few others were invited to, so it's been really interesting for him. They'll often head to another pub where the landlord and bar staff know them so they'll get the odd pint free or any food cheap. It has been really wonderful for him. They had a picnic last summer, he's been to a couple of house parties, one asked him to look after his boat for a week while he was away, so there has been a positive offshoot to all this.

I don't think it's the activity so much as the particular group of people who go. For example, you might join a group where a lot of people go along with two or three other friends and they want to catch up with those friends so don't have the time or inclination to speak to others beyond an initial "hello". Or you might join a group where there are lots of people who are, for whatever reason, socially awkward or struggling and the group as a whole doesn't gel. Or you might join a group where one or two people totally dominate and you dislike them. Or you might join a group and, due to life stages, it is unlikely to develop into a friendship as many others work 9-5 jobs when you're looking for something to do in the daytime or they're retired and you're working in a demanding job etc.
I do find the best groups for meeting people are where you are doing a shared activity which keeps you busy but allows time for chat. An exercise class or choir is only chat at the beginning & end and possibly in the middle. Doing a craft or conservation work often gives you plenty of time to chat and get to know a bit about someone. I particularly like conservation work as it gives you a chance to see how individuals behave (are they bossy? Misogynistic? Interesting? Do they get your sense of humour?) which can help fast track a friendship or make you realise that a particular group of people are not your people.

I think it’s more about your personality. Do you follow up? Exchange numbers? Stay behind to chat?

You can do this with any hobby or sport and anywhere if you are social. I know people who can make friends at a bus stop.

My hobby is sewing and going to events (talks and workshop).

Choir and was in a ukulele band for a while until I got bored of the songs, but still, good people.

I belong to a walking group. Not the Ramblers- I get the impression they are too earnest, just a local one - ask on your local Facebook group. If you want to join a book group the local library will have a list of most of them.
Further afield... I was a huge X-Files fan and got to know others online through fandom. Met up with local people and had several trips to the USA and Canada staying with online friends. Not everyone you get to know online is a scammer 🙂

Women’s Institute. Some of them are elderly but others are much more youthful.

@healthybychristmas feminists friends are great!

I volunteer for FiLia www.filia.org.uk

Brighton Sisters Salon has some great resources about setting up a local feminist group in your area.

brightonsisters.wordpress.com/our-resource-pack-for-activists/