Smart Ways To Make Friends in the East Midlands

Between its cities and market towns, the East Midlands rewards people who keep showing up. Find out where women here meet, and how a familiar face becomes a friend.

Two friends rest their chins on their hands during a game of backgammon, from the East Midlands page on finding your people

5M+

East Midlands population, mid-2025 (ONS)

District and unitary councils in the region

1 in 5

East Midlands residents aged 65+ (ONS, mid-2025)

Making Connections in the East Midlands

The East Midlands has just over 5 million residents and no single dominant city, which makes it a region of strong home towns. Derby, Northampton, Lincoln and Chesterfield each have a busy centre of their own, and Loughborough has a major university. Beyond them lie the farmland of Lincolnshire, tiny Rutland and the Derbyshire hills around Buxton and Matlock, where village halls, walking clubs and community cafés carry much of the social life. About one resident in five is 65 or over, so if you are rebuilding a circle later in life, you are in good company. Whatever your stage, start with the place you actually spend your week in rather than the nearest big city. Further down are pages for towns from Mansfield to Market Harborough.

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Who Put This Guide Together

Claudia Gard and Ulrika Lilja lead Gofrendly’s editorial work on women’s friendship across different life stages. This East Midlands guide applies that work to a region of mid-sized cities and market towns, where most friendships form close to home.