- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 17, 2026
Make Friends in Southwark: Peckham, Bermondsey and Dulwich
Roughly one in eight people in Southwark are in their late twenties, so from Peckham to Bermondsey plenty are still building their circles, which makes a simple plan worth suggesting.
312,000+
Southwark residents (mid-2025 estimate, ONS)
27%
of Southwark homes are council-rented, more than double London’s 12% (Census 2021, ONS)
1 in 8
Southwark residents is 25 to 29 years old; London overall: 9% (Census 2021, ONS)
Southwark friendships grow in its parks and markets
The way to make friends in Southwark is to pick a park or market near you and return to it. Burgess Park hosts parkrun every Saturday, Peckham Rye Park is good for a lap, and Borough Market rewards a regular browse. Stick to your own end of the borough. Gofrendly also links you up with Southwark women who hope to meet too.
Southwark: questions about friendship
What can you do on weekday evenings in Southwark to meet people?
Look for weekly classes, choirs, sports clubs and courses near home. Many Southwark libraries and community centres run evening groups, and parks such as Burgess Park have running and fitness clubs. Going back to the same session is how a familiar face becomes a friend.
Is Southwark a good place to make friends in your twenties?
Yes. About one Southwark resident in eight is in the 25 to 29 age group, so many people around you are at the same point in life. Many are also new to the area or building their circles. Sports clubs, parkrun and volunteering are easy ways to meet them regularly.
How can you get involved in your local community in Southwark?
Start with your estate or street: tenants’ and residents’ associations, shared gardens and library clubs are common across Southwark and meet regularly. Volunteering at a local park or food project also connects you with neighbours. Working on something together makes conversation easier.
What makes an easy first meeting with someone new in Southwark?
Choose somewhere public and easy to leave: a walk in Peckham Rye Park, a browse at Borough Market or a coffee in East Dulwich. If Gofrendly, the women-only friendship app, brought you together, agree the details in messages first, so meeting in Southwark feels simple.
Southwark, from the river to the rye
Southwark runs from the Thames at Bankside down through Walworth and Peckham to the leafy streets of Dulwich. More than a quarter of homes are rented from the council, many estates have residents’ associations, and roughly one resident in eight is in their late twenties. That mix is useful: join an estate or community group, and invite newer neighbours along to it, because the long-term residents and the recent arrivals each know things the other does not.
The north and south of the borough feel very different. Bermondsey, Rotherhithe and Bankside sit by the Thames and near the City, with converted warehouses and riverside walks, Peckham and Camberwell are lively and creative, and Dulwich is greener and quieter. Southwark can be lonely if it seems that everyone else already has plans, but almost every neighbourhood has a park, a market or a community hall within walking distance. Choose one and become a regular. Many neighbourhood groups also post their meetings on library and community noticeboards, which are worth a look. Places with a loyal crowd:
1
Burgess Park, a large park with a lake, sports facilities and a Saturday parkrun.
2
Peckham Rye Park, with gardens and an open common.
3
Borough Market by London Bridge, one of London’s oldest food markets.
4
Dulwich Picture Gallery, with exhibitions, talks and gardens.
5
Southwark Park in Rotherhithe, with a lake, gallery and sports track.
LOCAL TIP
Make one of them your weekly fixture.
How to
How to start making friends in Southwark
1
Commit to something weekly, like Burgess Park parkrun or an evening class nearby, for at least a month.
2
Get involved with your estate or street: residents’ associations and community gardens welcome new volunteers.
3
Use Gofrendly to find women near you in Camberwell, Nunhead or Rotherhithe, and propose a lap of your local park.
4
Keep plans small and specific: a coffee in Peckham on Thursday beats ‘we should meet up’.
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Who made this guide
This page was written by founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja and Gofrendly’s editors for Southwark women, from Bankside to Dulwich, who would rather not cross London to see a friend.
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
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