October 21, 2026

Make Friends After 40 in Greenwich on the move

Around one in seven Greenwich residents is in their 40s, above the capital’s share, and free walks, parkruns and pickleball make it easy to meet them outdoors.

Portrait from Greenwich: a woman beaming by a mural

44,900+

Greenwich residents between 40 and 49 in the latest ONS estimates (mid-2025)

15%

of the Royal Borough’s residents are in their forties, against 14% for London (ONS, mid-2025)

12%

of Greenwich households are cohabiting couples, compared with 10% across London (Census 2021, ONS)

Greenwich friendships that start with a walk

Single and in your 40s in Greenwich, you can build a social life on the move, because the borough has free walks, several parkruns and social pickleball. Greenwich Get Walking leads health walks from places such as Charlton House and the Royal Arsenal, Avery Hill parkrun meets in Eltham every Saturday, and the new Woolwich Waves leisure centre hosts pickleball sessions. Gofrendly helps Greenwich women find someone nearby to walk with.

Greenwich after 40: what people ask

Greenwich friends sharing a laugh in the front seats

Are there free walking groups in Greenwich?

Greenwich Get Walking, run by Charlton Athletic Community Trust with the Royal Borough, leads free health walks across the area, including the Charlton Ramble from Charlton House, the Oxleas Ramble and a Saturday River Ramble from the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich. They suit Greenwich residents of every pace.

Which parkruns are in Greenwich?

Avery Hill parkrun takes place in Avery Hill Park in Eltham at 9am each Saturday. Greenwich Peninsula and Charlton also have Saturday parkruns. All are timed 5k runs at no cost where walking is fine, and Greenwich newcomers can volunteer as marshals and learn names quickly.

What new sport can 40-something women try in Greenwich?

Woolwich Waves, the leisure centre that opened on Woolwich New Road on 1 January 2026, runs social pickleball sessions for beginners and regular players alike. A game is quick to learn and played in pairs, so Greenwich women can book a court online and bring a new friend along.

How do women in Greenwich find a walking or running partner?

Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, lets Greenwich women see who else is in the area, so finding someone at a similar pace and agreeing a route takes one message. Meeting at Avery Hill parkrun or for a riverside walk is a natural first plan.

Greenwich friendships for active single women

The Royal Borough of Greenwich runs from Maritime Greenwich and Charlton along the river to Woolwich, Plumstead and Thamesmead, with Eltham and Kidbrooke to the south. Roughly one person in seven in the borough is in their forties, a shade higher than across London, and about 12% of homes are cohabiting couples, also above the London figure. If you are single or newly single in your 40s, outdoor activity lets you make friends after 40 without the pressure of a dinner or a drink with strangers, and with the river never far away.

Moving together takes the strain out of small talk, and it helps on weekends that might otherwise be lonely. A guided walk, a Saturday 5k or a social game of pickleball all happen at set times and welcome newcomers. Greenwich also has a council adult learning service and a weekly community choir in Woolwich. Places to start:

Greenwich Get Walking, free guided health walks across the borough.

Avery Hill parkrun in Eltham, a timed 5k in the park on Saturday mornings.

Woolwich Waves on Woolwich New Road, which opened in 2026 with social pickleball.

Woolwich Singers, a community choir with no audition, on Wednesdays.

Greenwich Learns, the council’s adult learning service.

LOCAL TIP

Choose one guided walk this week and turn up in comfortable shoes.

How to

Getting active and making friends in Greenwich

Join a Greenwich Get Walking health walk from Charlton House or the Royal Arsenal.

Run or walk Avery Hill parkrun and suggest a coffee with someone you meet there.

Get in touch with other solo Greenwich women on Gofrendly and book pickleball at Woolwich Waves.

Sing with Woolwich Singers on a Wednesday for a few pounds a week.

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