- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 17, 2026
Make Friends in Merseyside, along the shore and the river
Merseyside beyond the city is home to more than 971,000 people, with sand dunes, long beaches and a stretch of riverside.
971,000+
people living in Merseyside outside Liverpool: Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral (ONS mid-2025)
13.7%
of Merseyside households outside the city are lone-parent families, above the North West’s 12.1% (Census 2021, ONS)
22%
of residents in these four boroughs have turned 65; regionally 19.1% (ONS mid-2025)
Merseyside friendships start on the shoreline
To make friends in Merseyside, find one place near home and make it your regular weekly outing. A walk on Crosby Beach among the iron figures, a loop of Birkenhead Park or a class in Southport, St Helens or Kirkby puts familiar faces around you each week, and conversation starts to come naturally. Liverpool has its own page. Gofrendly helps women in Merseyside find others who live nearby.
Merseyside: your questions on meeting people
Why is the city not on this Merseyside page?
Liverpool has a Meet People hub just for the city, so this Merseyside page focuses on Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral instead. The places, the tips and the figures here leave Liverpool out, and each of the four boroughs gets its own suggestions for meeting people close to home.
Which stretch of Merseyside shoreline suits a walk with a friend?
The Sefton coast runs from Crosby up past Formby to Southport, with long beaches and dunes, and Wirral has shore paths at West Kirby and Hoylake. Pick a section of Merseyside shoreline to walk with someone new, then warm up with a drink afterwards, which keeps a first outing relaxed.
Can women in Merseyside meet friends without going into the city?
Yes. Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, shows Merseyside women nearby, and you can trade a few messages long before you agree to meet up. A walk at a regular hour or a standing coffee date then gives the two of you room to become friends without rushing.
Where could two new friends meet in Merseyside?
Birkenhead Park has paths around the lakes and a café, and Port Sunlight village is pleasant to stroll round before visiting the gallery. In Merseyside, either makes a calm first meet-up, with space to talk and somewhere to sit down afterwards.
Merseyside around the city
On this page Merseyside means the four boroughs around Liverpool: Sefton along the coast to Southport, Knowsley to the east, St Helens further inland and Wirral across the river. Liverpool, which is covered by its own Meet People hub, sits outside the numbers here. Each borough has its own centres, parks and seafront or countryside, which makes it easy to keep friendships local instead of travelling into the city for every plan.
The numbers show a slightly older population than the region, with more than one person in five aged 65 or over, and more lone-parent families than the North West average. Both can mean full weeks and not much room for new people, and it can feel lonely when that goes on for months. Find one thing with a set time, whether it is a beach walk, a netball league, swimming lessons or a volunteer rota. Places to try first, all outside the city:
1
Crosby Beach, where Antony Gormley’s Another Place figures stand along the shore.
2
The National Trust pinewoods and dunes at Formby, home to red squirrels.
3
Birkenhead Park, laid out in the 1840s, with lakes and a Swiss bridge.
4
Port Sunlight village on Wirral, with its museum and the Lady Lever Art Gallery.
5
West Kirby Marine Lake, with a walkway round the water and views to Hilbre Island.
LOCAL TIP
The nearest is the best place to begin, so try it next week.
How to
Merseyside: four ways to meet people locally
1
Settle on one weekly activity in your own borough and keep the same day.
2
Ask someone from your group to walk the shore at Crosby or a loop of Birkenhead Park.
3
Try Gofrendly to connect with Merseyside women near your home and suggest a coffee close by.
4
Spend one morning a month on a beach clean, a park group or a charity shop.
Something for a quiet night in
How the Merseyside page was written
Gofrendly’s founders, Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, created this Merseyside page, and our editors helped shape it. It is about the beaches, parks and town centres outside the city, and how women can use them to find new friends.
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.
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