- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 21, 2026
Make Friends After 40 in Newham while you retrain
Roughly one Newham resident in seven is in their forties, and the council’s own learning service runs day, evening and weekend courses, many of them free or discounted.
51,500+
Newham residents in the forties age group (ONS mid-2025 population estimate)
14%
of Newham’s people are forty to forty-nine, just under London’s 14.1% (ONS 2025)
39%
Newham households in private rented homes, far above the London level of 30% (2021 Census, ONS)
Newham has a classroom for a second career
Retraining or changing jobs at 40-something in Newham can bring new friends along with the new skills. Our Newham Learning and Skills runs day, evening and weekend courses at Forest Gate, Beckton, East Ham and North Woolwich, with creative crafts and patisserie alongside work skills. Wanstead Flats hosts a Saturday parkrun, and Gofrendly helps Newham women changing direction find others nearby.
Newham, careers and friendship: FAQ
Where can women in their mid-forties retrain in Newham?
Our Newham Learning and Skills, the borough’s adult learning service, teaches at Forest Gate Learning Zone, Beckton Globe, Priory Park Centre in East Ham and North Woolwich Learning Zone. It offers day, evening and weekend courses, many free or discounted for Newham residents.
Are there creative courses for adults in Newham?
Yes. Alongside work skills, the borough’s learning service lists creative crafts, cakes and patisserie and green and sustainability courses, including a silver jewellery course for beginners. A practical class gives Newham learners something to show and talk about each week.
Where can Newham residents join a weekly parkrun?
Wanstead Flats parkrun takes place on the playing fields off Harrow Road at 9am on Saturdays, and Beckton parkrun runs in Beckton District Park South. Each is a timed 5k that costs nothing, so Newham newcomers can walk the first one and build up from there.
How do career changers in Newham make new friends?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, helps Newham women spot neighbours who are also beginning a new job or course, and a quick hello is enough to arrange a coffee. Meeting after a Saturday parkrun on Wanstead Flats is an easy first step.
Newham friendships for a career change
Newham runs from Stratford and Forest Gate in the north through West Ham, Plaistow and East Ham to Canning Town, Beckton and the Royal Docks. Roughly 51,500 people in Newham are forty-somethings, much as across the capital, while private renters account for nearly 39% of households, far more than across London. If you have moved jobs or sectors recently, your work friendships may have changed too, and to make friends after 40 in Newham a classroom is a natural first step.
A new job can be lonely before you know anyone, and the evenings can stretch out long and quiet. The borough’s learning service keeps many courses free or discounted for residents, and it teaches creative subjects such as silver jewellery and cake decorating as well as qualifications. Newham also has two Saturday morning parkruns and Better leisure centres with women-only gyms or swims. Good places to start in Newham:
1
Our Newham Learning and Skills at Forest Gate Learning Zone on Woodford Road.
2
Beckton Globe on Kingsford Way, another of the council’s learning venues.
3
Wanstead Flats parkrun, on the playing fields off Harrow Road, Saturdays at 9am.
4
Atherton Leisure Centre on Romford Road, with women-only swimming.
5
East Ham Leisure Centre on Barking Road, which has a women-only gym.
LOCAL TIP
Enrol on one creative course alongside the work one and see who signs up.
How to
Newham: making friends during a career change
1
Sign up for a silver jewellery or patisserie course with the council’s learning service.
2
Run or walk Wanstead Flats parkrun before a busy weekend.
3
Message Newham women who are also retraining on Gofrendly.
4
Book a session in the women-only pool time at Atherton Leisure Centre.
A fresh season, a fresh start
Newham page for women changing direction
Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja wrote this Newham page with the editorial staff for 40-something women retraining or moving into a new kind of work.
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.