- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 17, 2026
Make Friends in Gateshead: Simple Ways to Get Started
Over a third of households in Gateshead have just one person in them, which means plenty of people here have space in their week for someone new.
202,000+
Gateshead residents in mid-2025 (ONS estimate)
34.6%
of Gateshead households are made up of one resident, per Census 2021 (ONS)
19%
of Gateshead households are council tenants, against 13% across the North East (Census 2021, ONS)
Gateshead social life is on your doorstep
To make friends in Gateshead, let a local routine do the work for you. Saltwell Park, the quayside around BALTIC and The Glasshouse, and the trails of Derwent Walk Country Park give you places to go back to week after week. Regular contact is what turns hellos into friendships. Gofrendly connects women in Gateshead with others nearby who are after something similar.
Asked and answered: Gateshead
Is Gateshead its own town?
Yes. Gateshead is its own borough on the south bank of the Tyne, with its own council and town centre, though it faces Newcastle across the river and the two are linked by several bridges and the Metro. For making friends, that means Gateshead has its own clubs and groups close to home.
Where can you take a new friend in Gateshead?
In Gateshead you could walk around Saltwell Park, see an exhibition at BALTIC, catch a concert at The Glasshouse or visit the Angel of the North. Each one hands you a ready-made topic of conversation, which helps a lot when you are still getting to know someone.
Where do women meet new friends in Gateshead?
Gofrendly is a women-only friendship app where women in Gateshead can see who is nearby and send a message before meeting. Community centres, choirs, walking groups and volunteering projects around Gateshead are worth a look for meeting people face to face too, especially those that meet weekly.
Are there walking groups in Gateshead?
Yes. Gateshead has walking routes from riverside paths to Derwent Walk Country Park, and organised groups, including health walks, meet in different parts of the borough. A regular walk is one of the easiest ways in Gateshead to get talking without the pressure of a sit-down meeting.
Getting to know Gateshead
Gateshead sits on the south bank of the Tyne, with a quayside that looks across the river and a handful of bridges, including the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Beyond the river, much of the wider borough is made up of established neighbourhoods and towns with their own parks, clubs and community centres. If you live further out, away from the quayside, start with what is close to home, because local groups, from choirs to park volunteers, make regular contact easy.
Roughly 35% of households here are someone living alone, and almost one in five homes is a council rental, comfortably above the level across the North East. Living alone can be peaceful, but it can also get lonely when friends move away or routines change. The fix is usually small and regular: a weekly walk, a choir or a volunteering shift, somewhere the same people turn up again. Worth a visit:
1
Saltwell Park, a big Victorian park with formal gardens, a boating lake and Saltwell Towers.
2
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, a former flour mill on the quayside, now a contemporary art gallery.
3
The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, formerly Sage Gateshead, with concerts and courses.
4
Derwent Walk Country Park, a former railway line turned into a long, gentle walking route.
5
The Angel of the North, a short trip from the town centre and a classic first outing.
LOCAL TIP
Pick one for this week, then go again before the conversation has a chance to fade.
How to
First steps to new friends in Gateshead
1
Join a weekly walking or running group and keep the same day each week, so the faces become familiar.
2
Look at The Glasshouse’s learning programme for music courses that run over several weeks.
3
Search for women in your corner of Gateshead on Gofrendly and suggest meeting for a lap around Saltwell Park.
4
Volunteer at a community centre, food bank or friends-of-the-park group, where a regular shift leads to easy conversation.
Two reads on friendship
Written by our team
This page about Gateshead comes from Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja together with our editors, and it centres on the parks, the quayside and the local groups where women can become familiar faces.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Find women near you
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