Ways to Meet New People

According to research commissioned by Eden Project [accessed 2024], 45% of adults feel occasionally, sometimes, or often lonely in England. This equates to twenty-five million people. Making new connections as an adult can be tough – but there are lots of ways to meet people and build up meaningful friendships to support your social wellbeing. 

In this article, we’re sharing ways to meet new people – let us know your favourites!

Join a language class: Learning a new skill or furthering a personal interest can be a great way to support your mental wellbeing as well as making friends. Learning a new language is great for brain development and improving memory too!

Join a local book club: If you love books, a book club is a wonderful way to meet new people with a similar interest. You can find book clubs through your local bookshop, online, or through Meetup.com to meet people.

Volunteer locally: There are so many fun opportunities for volunteering with large groups of people where you might find your tribe. Volunteer in areas that are meaningful and interesting to you; you can volunteer as a coach, for a cultural event, or for a local art show. If you’re not sure what the volunteer opportunities are nearby to you, check out VolunteerMatch.org to match you with an organisation who would love to have a little of your time and energy.

Go to seminars, book signings, or speaking events: Explore your local community to see what happenings and events are coming up in your area. Attend some of these events and try to sit next to someone who might be looking for a new friend too – you’ll have plenty to talk about given the nature of the event. Show interest in the other person’s opinions and impressions about the event and share your own.

Take an art class: Taking a class automatically throws you into a group of like-minded people. Try to enroll in a more hands-on class rather than a lecture course, which will allow you to talk with other students.

Join a walking group: Do you love the outdoors? Find like-minded people with nature inspired socials, like walking, running or cycling groups.

Cheer on local sports teams: If you’re a sports fan and want to cheer on your local sports teams, check out your local pitch or stadium and show up for games to show your support. You’re likely to meet other local sports fans and can strike up interesting conversations with them during breaks. If someone in your family loves a particular sport, all the more reason to show up for their games or take them to the stadium so they can watch and learn from teams they might someday join. In any case, the players and their families will appreciate your support, and that can be the start of new friendships and improved social wellbeing.

Combine volunteering and staying active: Organisations like GoodGym combines a community mission with a physical activity. For example, run, walk or cycle to help community projects with practical tasks like planting trees in a local park, community gardening projects, sorting cans for the food bank or connecting with people in need.

At zeno we support social wellbeing, helping you combat loneliness through community-building tools and evidence-based resources delivered via our award-winning health & wellbeing app HealthNav.

Build a strong online support network with our chat functionality, set up group activity challenges, and track your mood to gain insights into your emotional wellbeing!