- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Loughborough, around the carillon and the market
Over 24% of residents in Loughborough’s wards are aged 18 to 24, well over double the regional figure.
64,800+
people counted in Loughborough’s built-up area in 2021 (ONS)
24%
of people across Loughborough’s ten Charnwood wards are 18 to 24; regionally just 9% (ONS, 2021 census)
25%
of Loughborough homes in these wards are privately rented, against 19% regionally (Census 2021, ONS)
Loughborough has a Hobby Hub every Tuesday
An easy way to make friends in Loughborough is the Tuesday Hobby Hub at the library on Granby Street, a drop-in from 10.30am aimed at meeting new people, followed by Shared Reading in the afternoon. The market fills Market Place on Thursdays and Saturdays, while Queen’s Park has the Carillon war memorial and Olivia’s café near Charnwood Museum. Gofrendly helps Loughborough women meet nearby.
Loughborough: what people ask about friendship
What is the Hobby Hub in Loughborough?
The Hobby Hub is a drop-in session at Loughborough Library on Granby Street, every Tuesday from 10.30am to noon, where you can bring a hobby and meet new people. Shared Reading follows in the afternoon, so Tuesday is a sociable day in Loughborough.
When is Loughborough market?
Loughborough Market trades in Market Place on Thursdays and Saturdays, opening at 8am, with vintage and artisan markets on some dates. Visiting regularly gives Loughborough residents a reason to be in the same place on the same days every week.
Which parkrun can you do in Loughborough?
Dishley parkrun takes place at Loughborough Rugby Club, reached via Cotton Way, every Saturday at 9am, and it welcomes walkers as well as runners. Beacon Hill parkrun is further out, near Woodhouse Eaves. Either gives Loughborough women a sociable weekly fixture.
How can non-students make friends in Loughborough?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, lets women in Loughborough browse others living nearby, students and long-term residents alike, and message first. Suggesting the Tuesday Hobby Hub or a coffee in Queen’s Park makes a relaxed first plan that is worth repeating.
Loughborough's two populations
Loughborough is a university town in Charnwood, north Leicestershire. Across its ten wards, young adults of 18 to 24 account for more than 24% of residents and roughly one home in four is rented privately, far above the East Midlands figures. The town also has many families and older residents, from Shelthorpe to Nanpantan. If your student days are over, look for activities that bring the two together or that run outside term-time rhythms.
A busy university town can still feel lonely if your neighbours come and go with the academic year. The library groups, the twice-weekly market and Queen’s Park offer regulars of all ages, and the Dishley parkrun on Saturday mornings is open to anyone, at any pace, with no booking. Returning to the same group every week matters more than which one you choose, so start with whatever is easiest to reach from home. Places to start:
1
Loughborough Library on Granby Street, with the Hobby Hub and Shared Reading on Tuesdays.
2
Loughborough Market in Market Place, on Thursdays and Saturdays.
3
Queen’s Park, with the Carillon war memorial, a bandstand and Olivia’s café near Charnwood Museum.
4
Southfields Park on Leicester Road, with an outdoor gym and a street workout area.
5
Dishley parkrun at Loughborough Rugby Club, on Saturdays at 9am.
LOCAL TIP
Try the Tuesday Hobby Hub first, then add a weekend habit.
How to
Loughborough: meeting people outside campus
1
Bring a hobby, or just yourself, to the Tuesday Hobby Hub at Loughborough Library.
2
Walk or run the Dishley parkrun on Saturday and linger at the finish to talk.
3
Message Loughborough women on Gofrendly and suggest Olivia’s café in Queen’s Park.
4
Make Thursday market a regular errand and talk to the stallholders you see each week.
A month to celebrate friends, and saying goodbye to one
The Loughborough page: our writers
Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, Gofrendly’s founders, wrote this Loughborough guide alongside our editors, focusing on women in a university town who want friends that stay.
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.