- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 17, 2026
Make Friends in Staffordshire, from the chase to the moorlands
Staffordshire’s eight districts have more than 913,000 residents, and 31.1% of homes there carry a mortgage.
913,000+
Staffordshire residents across the county council districts, with Stoke-on-Trent outside them (ONS mid-2025)
31.1%
of Staffordshire households are buying their home on a mortgage, compared with 28.4% regionally (Census 2021, ONS)
32.8%
of Staffordshire adults aged 16+ are never-married; regional share 37.1% (Census 2021, ONS)
Staffordshire friendships start a few streets from home
A dependable way to make friends in Staffordshire is to join one local activity and keep showing up. A Sunday walk on Cannock Chase, a choir in Lichfield or Stafford, or a swim in Tamworth or Burton puts you among the same regulars every week, and before long you are sharing more than small talk. Stoke-on-Trent is served by its own hub, and these pages leave it out. Gofrendly helps women in Staffordshire meet others nearby.
Friendship in Staffordshire: the usual questions
Why is the city left out of this Staffordshire page?
Stoke-on-Trent is a unitary authority, and the Stoke hub gathers ideas for the city, which is why its residents are excluded. Instead, this Staffordshire page covers the eight county council districts, including Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford, Lichfield, Tamworth, Cannock Chase and Leek in the Moorlands.
Which Staffordshire trails suit a first walk together?
Cannock Chase has waymarked forest trails of different lengths, and Shugborough has around 900 acres of parkland to walk through. In Staffordshire, an hour on foot and then a coffee together is an easy way to see whether you click.
Staffordshire women: how to find friends a short drive away?
Gofrendly is a women-only friendship app that lists Staffordshire women in your area. Start with a few messages, meet somewhere you both know, and agree on a regular walk or coffee so the friendship has time to build up properly together.
Where in Staffordshire should a first meeting happen?
Lichfield has the cathedral close and plenty of cafés within a few minutes of each other, and the National Memorial Arboretum has quiet paths and a restaurant. Both Staffordshire choices make a first meeting easy to keep short or extend.
Staffordshire, chase, cathedral city and moorland
Staffordshire County Council covers Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, Newcastle-under-Lyme, South Staffordshire, Stafford, Staffordshire Moorlands and Tamworth. Stoke-on-Trent runs its own unitary council and has a Meet People hub, which keeps it out of these figures. The towns are spread from Leek in the north to Tamworth and Lichfield in the south, so pick something near your own town rather than far away, especially on winter evenings.
Just over 31% of households are repaying a home loan, a higher proportion than the regional one, and the share of adults who never married is lower. Work, childcare and commuting can fill the week, and after a move or a change at home it can feel lonely. One standing plan helps a lot: a parkrun, a book group, needlework or knitting, or helping out at a community café. Leisure centres and libraries are good places to see what runs nearby. A few places to try first:
1
Lichfield Cathedral, the medieval cathedral with three spires.
2
Cannock Chase National Landscape, with forest trails from the Marquis Drive Visitor Centre.
3
The National Memorial Arboretum near Alrewas, with gardens and memorials across woodland.
4
Shugborough Estate near Milford, a National Trust estate with parkland walks.
5
Tamworth Castle, a Norman castle beside the Castle Grounds park.
LOCAL TIP
Choose the nearest and let it turn into routine.
How to
Meeting people in Staffordshire, district by district
1
Sign up for a weekly session in your own town rather than across the county.
2
Suggest a Cannock Chase trail to one of the regulars in your group.
3
Look for Staffordshire women nearby with Gofrendly and suggest coffee in Lichfield.
4
Help at a country park, a museum or a community café one day a month.
How long it takes, and a fresh start
Staffordshire page, from our two founders
Gofrendly’s founders, Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, wrote the Staffordshire page with our editors. It looks at the Chase, the cathedral city and the market towns as handy spots where women can make new friends near home.
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
See who’s nearby and say hi — it’s free to start.