How do I make new friends?

[Canyouask]

Posting here for traffic.
I have immigrated from another country to UK 5 years ago. I made friends through work but changing workplaces meant I lost contact with some of them and due to COVID and being pregnant I was shielding and wasn't able to go out much and see other people. I have a 2 year old toddler now and currently pregnant with baby #2.
I want to make new friends, can you suggest me some tips and places on where to find new friends.

Also, wanted to mention that I haven't been to uni in the UK so don't have anyone who I knew before coming to UK.

Baby or toddler groups

religious places - church, mosque, temple

WI

hobby group or adult Ed class

pub

volunteering for charity

parkrun

Go to all the baby groups/playgroups you can, you’ll find people you click with! Organise play dates - take kids to playground/soft play etc and get to know the mums.

I would go to the library / playground / other groups for children and just be willing to chat and seem friendly. Over time you see the same faces and can develop friendships.

Could you do toddler groups or soft play with your DC and mingle there?

Or join a hobby group like local running club. They usually meet for exercise but then socialise with coffees etc after.

It's already been said but baby and toddler groups is how I've made friends

I really struggle with making friends and it's taken a long time or showing up every week and taking the time to talk to make friends

The library is also a really good place to make friends too, my local library has different socials and things for children that are free.

I also found it easier once my daughter reached an age where she would play with other children rather than just alongside as now I can meet other mums for "play dates"

This happened around 2.5

I did through my older dc - friends parents, social events. I really didn't have that experience with baby groups. Everyone is just there for the purpose of the group, and busy with their baby and then leave.

I went to some baby groups but couldn't make any friends. I am bit introverted, which makes it harder to meet new people.

Can you join a hobby group that meets regularly? I found baby groups etc useless for making friends, but taking a risk and going to a regular craft event saw me make a good group of people whose company I enjoyed.

If you try a hobby group or a volunteering role, try and do something where you have a key role in the group. Even making the teas means people have to interact with you, and it's a lot easier than trying to strike up conversation with people you don't know. I guess that's why a lot of people turn up to a group with cakes!

Also remember that a lot of people will be volunteering or joining a hobby group for precisely the same reason - that they want to make friends.

You'll need to be patient. It takes several years for an aquaintance to be a friend. So for a while, you'll have lots of acquaintances, people you can chat to, people who will stop for a chat if you meet them in the street, but real friendship will come in the end. Of my current friends, one came because I "reached out" to her when she had the same illness as me, one because I offered to help with her garden tidy before she went for an operation, one who reached out to me when my husband became ill, and one who was a member of a group I hosted in my home who thought my book collection looked interesting and therefore I must be interesting too, so she invited me to coffee. But all four had been acquaintances for a while, one a work colleague, the rest in a hobby group.