Has anyone in their 30s met a partner through hobby groups?

[HeartbreakingCat]

Any time I read a thread about dating the general consensus is to meet a man in real life and to put yourself out there and go to hobby clubs/groups to meet a man. But has anyone actually met a man at a hobby group/ hobby club? I keep being told to join clubs to meet men instead of online dating but who has actually met their partner this way? I don’t think many men in their 30s join clubs but maybe im wrong. If they do then it’s probably sports related? And im not sporty or interested in sports (that also includes walking and hiking) so what clubs / hobbies do women in their 30s join to find a partner? The type of things im interested in is probably not going to attracted the type of men im interested in, if that makes sense! And I also don’t want to join something im not interested in in the hope of meeting a man (if a man did this to meet women he'd be considered a creep) Would be nice to know how many people in their 30s have actually met a partner at a hobby group?

I was in my forties but yes, met DP through a hobby group.

Yes… met my now ex through a ‘hobby’ group in my mid thirties. That was one which was focused on going to gigs and seeing new bands.

A few of my mates met their partners through the more sociable meet up groups and the meets they put on (monthly drinks, beer festivals, ladies day at the races, food festivals et cetera). One met his through a Board Games group… so it does happen.

Yes, the "try a hobby group" or "have you tried a walking group" has long become a trope, and like you I wonder if anyone has actually met anyone this way.

Have walking groups just become full of singletons who can't walk and have only joined because it's the mythical place where you meet your husband?

I walk through a park because it's a short-cut for me to get the shops etc. Yet I never it full of all the singles who "love a walk and a Sunday roast".

Yes thats what im referring to, the endless join a club or go to a walking group, that does not interest me in the slightest, I wouldn’t even go on a walking date that seemed to be a thing a couple of years back! Ive heard a few women in their 30s who have met their partners through gaming but again im not really a gamer!

Back in the day, many people used to meet their partners at work.

I think doing anything that widens your social circle helps though. You might not meet someone at the hobby itself but you might meet someone at the birthday party of someone you meet there or in the pub after the hobby. If you are out and about, there’s opportunities for interactions.

Thats not an option here.

I met my late wife at a hobby group. We were both in our forties.

Not through a hobby group. But out doing our hobby, yes.

It's how I met my DH and neither of us are sporty. We now have a child and are very happy.

What group did you meet at?

It was a creative hobby.

I would say it helps if it's something you are both genuinely passionate about, you are more likely to connect that way.

If you are just going for the sake of meeting someone and not the thing itself, it's less likely you'll have loads in common.

Things like walking gorups are so generic that you're less likely to meet someone like minded I think.

You make friends at the group, which widens your circle and you meet their friends of friends.
What do you actually like doing?

Respectfully OP what do you suggest people suggest? You're not going to meet your future husband sitting at home on your own 🤷🏼‍♀️

Online is possible but told to get out in the real world for better quality of men apparently

You just need to find something you actually want to do. One of my friends volunteers at a museum, one does the make up for a local theatre, one does gardening at the city centre park. There’s a lot of niche stuff happening once you start looking in to it.

One of my friends is in a basket making club. They make baskets for all sorts of weird things like the zoo so keepers can hide food in them. Who knows, make a basket for a lion, volunteer to take them to the zoo, meet a lion tamer.

I like art, crafts, and reading. Ive heard of a few women in their 30s who have met their partner through gaming, im not a big gamer but don’t mind it starting to think I should get more into it 😂

My DH and I met at church, which you could say is a hobby group, sort of. We also happened to be members of the same tennis club, but would probably never have met through that as he is way way better than me so we wouldn't have played together.

I met DH when I joined a running group.

Neither of us run now though - 23 years later. He did a few marathons. I gave up running for Lent the first year we were together.

Your interests are quite solitary.Nowt wrong with that - so are mine - but that does add a layer of difficulty if you want to align socialising with something you are genuinely interested in. I like reading for example so how could I spin it into meeting people? Well there’s book clubs of course, but maybe a creative writing session, a talk at a local book shop, a lecture by a writer, join a new library etc etc . My point is make your interest the “root” but let it spin off into different directions.

Met DH at a tennis club. Got to know him in a group before the pressure of dates .

Well im open to trying other things just ruling out sports as that isnt something im interested in at all. None of my friends in their 30s do any hobbies or clubs so I can’t ask for their advice.

Yes I’m the same. Totally not into sports so it would be pointless. I met DH through work though so probably not best placed to advise!

yeah sadly seems most meet through sports, thats the one thing I totally rule out.

I met my DH in my 30s through church, though not at my church - we were both in an online church forum, that wasn't focused on dating.
My uni flatmate met her DH in a Ramblers group and I met an ex through choir and another one through orchestra.