- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 21, 2026
Make Friends After 40 in County Durham as You Retrain
County Durham’s forties age group grew by just 2% between 2021 and 2025, so a classroom or a new workplace may be where you find women your age.
539,000+
people live in the Durham County Council area (ONS mid-2025)
2%
change in County Durham’s 40 to 49 headcount from the 2021 to the 2025 mid-year estimate, next to 5% for the North East (ONS)
31,600+
County Durham women between 40 and 49 years old, mid-2025 estimate (ONS)
Retraining in County Durham opens new circles
Retraining in your 40s in County Durham gives you a ready-made set of classmates, which is a fine start if you want to make friends after 40. New College Durham at Framwellgate Moor runs part-time adult courses and an Access to HE Diploma, Durham Learn offers free distance-learning courses, and Riverside Striders meet on Thursday evenings in Chester-le-Street. Gofrendly shows you women nearby, some of whom may be making the same switch.
County Durham questions for career changers
Where can adults retrain in County Durham in their 40s?
New College Durham, at Framwellgate Moor, runs part-time adult courses with several start dates and a one-year Access to HE Diploma for adults without recent qualifications. In County Durham the college holds information, advice and guidance evenings on 3 November and 1 December 2026, 4.30pm to 6.30pm; register first.
Are there free online courses in County Durham?
Yes. Durham Learn, the council’s adult learning and skills service, offers distance courses from entry level to Level 3 in subjects such as digital skills, business, and health and social care. The County Durham council describes these distance courses as free, subject to availability, while Level 3 courses carry a charge.
Where do County Durham career changers find new friends?
Courses and clubs seat you next to familiar people every week, and that repetition gives County Durham friendships room to begin. Gofrendly, the women-only friendship app, adds women living nearby to the mix: send a first message, then propose a short meet-up between lectures or shifts.
Is there a beginner running group in County Durham?
Riverside Striders meets on Thursdays at 6.30pm at the Riverside Leisure Complex in Chester-le-Street, beside the running track, and welcomes new members of every ability. In County Durham the group is also linked to free Couch to 5k courses, and you can email first to arrange a trial session.
Changing career and making friends in County Durham
Changing career in your forties tends to shrink one circle before it builds another. Leave a long-held job and the colleagues you shared lunches with drift away, while a course, an apprenticeship or a new workplace fills with people you have not met yet. In County Durham that second circle can form around a college campus, a council course or a club with its own timetable, so treat the new routine as the social plan rather than something to fit friends around. Classmates who are also starting over make easy allies.
The numbers explain why it pays to be deliberate. People in their forties account for just over 11% of County Durham, a little under the North East share, and their number rose only 2% between 2021 and 2025, compared with 5% across the region. Fewer peers means a switch of career can feel lonely, especially if your old team still meets for Friday drinks without you. Pick settings where adults return week after week: an evening course, a running group, a volunteering rota. A few that fit well:
1
New College Durham at Framwellgate Moor, with part-time adult courses, an Access to HE Diploma and information and advice evenings on 3 November and 1 December 2026, 4.30pm to 6.30pm, booked in advance.
2
Durham Learn, run by Durham County Council, with free distance-learning courses from entry level upwards, subject to availability.
3
Riverside Striders, a running group that meets on Thursdays at 6.30pm at the Riverside Leisure Complex in Chester-le-Street and welcomes new members.
4
Riverside parkrun, a free 5k held in Riverside Park, Chester-le-Street, every Saturday morning.
5
East Durham Running Club, which offers Couch to 5K for adults, wellbeing walks and monthly runs that support local food banks.
LOCAL TIP
Choose one with a start date and book it before the doubts arrive.
How to
Four steps for a new chapter in County Durham
1
Register for an information and advice evening at New College Durham and ask which courses meet after work.
2
Turn up to Riverside Striders on a Thursday at 6.30pm and ask the run leaders which group suits your pace.
3
Look for County Durham women on Gofrendly retraining like you and swap notes over a coffee near campus.
4
Run or walk Riverside parkrun on a Saturday, then offer to volunteer so you join the team for a morning.
Reads for a career change
County Durham, written for career switchers
Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, who founded Gofrendly, drafted the County Durham guide and our editorial staff refined it. It follows women in their forties who are retraining or switching jobs, and the courses and clubs where new classmates can turn into friends.
Friendship looks different at every stage
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Friendship looks different at every stage
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