Making new friends in your 50s

[trickytimes]

I’ve realised through Covid/lockdown that I have no reliable friends. I’ve resolved to make more effort but I want advice on how to do it. How do I make friends later in life? I WFH so can’t do it through work. I’ve read that hobby groups might be a good way. Can anyone please give me advice on what kind of hobby groups? I’ve tried gym classes but everyone seems to run off after the class and I find it really hard when doing an hour yoga class to actually get any conversation going. What hobby groups are sociable? Thanks!

Hi. Netball, badminton type sports? You get really good chats, work as a team and there are social events. Am dram. Book clubs. Walking clubs. Art clubs. Local courses- painting, photography, language...whatever you're interested in.

Thanks so much. I seem to pick the hobbies that mean I’m on my own all the time! I did a floristry course and that was really hard to strike up conversation as we were all sat so far away from each other. Running groups didn’t work for me either!

In Oz, where a friend in her 50s has joined some really great groups through an app called meetup after she moved to a new city.
She's in a book group, a wine and cheese group, a walking group and I think a group that goes to plays, concerts etc.
Is meetup a thing in the UK?
She's really enjoying it - I think you can choose what age group you're in too.

What about joining your local Womens' Institute?

I've made some great friends through my running club, which I joined in my 40s and I have met some lovely people through a walking group I've only recently joined. I'm hoping some of those will become friends, but it takes me a long time to move from "aquaintance" to friends. In the meantime they're still good company though.

In the past I've also met people through volunteering at my local homeless charity and nature reserve.

@Cocogreen

In Oz, where a friend in her 50s has joined some really great groups through an app called meetup after she moved to a new city. She's in a book group, a wine and cheese group, a walking group and I think a group that goes to plays, concerts etc. Is meetup a thing in the UK? She's really enjoying it - I think you can choose what age group you're in too.

Yes, meet up is a thing, that's how I found my walking group.

Meetup is a good place to start, I had a look the other evening as I'm in a similar boat OP.

There are book clubs, walking groups, social groups, dating groups etc. I'm going to try a couple as it's quite miserable just having work and home and I need to get out of the rut I'm in.

I joined a choir. Have made new friends through that.

I recently begun a policy of saying yes to every opportunity without thinking about it. It means I quite often end up at things where I don't know anyone, but people are almost always glad to meet someone new and if it's really awful I just don't go back.

Meet up groups? Conservation volunteering? I've moved countries a lot, and have met friends through drystone walling, conservation volunteering (clearing invasive species from a national park), book groups. I did also meet someone who subsequently became a very good friend by just bumping into her at an art exhibition (and another friend I first spoke to while trick or treating with my young son, wearing a witch's hat, but that's probably of less use to you!)

I joined a local sewing group. I’m 58. There’s 6 of us. They’re all friends now and they’re lovely.

I second MeetUp, I made loads of friends that way after my separation. plenty of different groups: walking, hiking, languages, cooking, movies, etc. In fact, I met my current partner in one of them!

Oh and activism. They're passionate, loving and work really well as a team. Plus you'll be doing good. XR, Greenpeace etc