- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 17, 2026
Make Friends in Wandsworth: Putney, Tooting and Battersea
Over a third of homes in Wandsworth are privately rented, which means that from Putney to Tooting new neighbours arrive all the time and a simple plan is easy to suggest.
339,000+
Wandsworth residents at mid-2025 (ONS estimate)
11%
of households are cohabiting couples without children, against 7% across London (Census 2021, ONS)
36%
of Wandsworth households rent privately; London: 30% (Census 2021, ONS)
Wandsworth friendships form on the commons
You can make friends in Wandsworth by choosing a common, pool or market near home and going back often. A summer swim at Tooting Bec Lido, a walk round Battersea Park or a coffee at Tooting Market can become a routine that brings you the same faces each week. Start with whatever is on your doorstep. Gofrendly shows women in Wandsworth who are also after new friends.
Wandsworth: friendship questions and answers
How can people in couples build friendships of their own in Wandsworth?
Add one activity that belongs to you alone, for example a running club, a class or a book group. Many Wandsworth households are couples without children, so you will find others in your situation. Seeing friends independently also keeps your shared social life fresh.
Is there outdoor swimming or a running scene in Wandsworth?
Tooting Bec Lido is a large open-air pool, open to all from May to September, and Battersea Park, Wandsworth Common and Tooting Common have running routes and fitness groups. Rowing clubs line the river at Putney. In Wandsworth, exercising with the same people each week is an easy route to friendship.
Is Wandsworth a good place to meet people if you rent?
Yes. More than a third of Wandsworth households rent privately, so lots of neighbours are fairly new arrivals too. Commons, clubs and markets close to home are the easiest places to start, and they are still there if you move a few streets.
What is a good first meeting with a new friend in Wandsworth?
Something short and local: a walk on Wandsworth Common, a coffee at Tooting Market or a lap of Battersea Park. Gofrendly, a women-only app for finding friends, lets you sort out the details in messages beforehand, which takes the pressure off meeting in Wandsworth.
Wandsworth's social map
Wandsworth has a large share of young adults, many renting privately and living as couples without children. Putney and Southfields are a little more settled, while Battersea and Nine Elms have seen a wave of new homes along the river. If your friends from university or work live elsewhere in London, local friendships are something you build from scratch, and that is entirely normal here.
The borough is rich in open space: Wandsworth Common, Tooting Common, Battersea Park and the river at Putney all have regular crowds. Rowing, running and outdoor swimming clubs are good ways in, and so are markets and arts venues. Wandsworth can feel lonely on weekday evenings when your old friends are across town, so plan something close to home and repeat it. A friend on the same Overground or Northern line stop is far easier to see on a weekday than one across the river. Places worth a regular visit:
1
Battersea Park, with a lake, gardens and running routes beside the Thames.
2
Tooting Bec Lido on Tooting Common, a large open-air pool open to the public from May to September.
3
Wandsworth Common, with ponds and sports fields.
4
Battersea Arts Centre, a cultural venue with a programme of shows.
5
Tooting Market, an indoor market of food stalls and small shops.
LOCAL TIP
Choose one near home and go back next week.
How to
Four steps to friends in Wandsworth
1
Pick a weekly fixture, such as a run in Battersea Park or, from May to September, a swim at Tooting Bec Lido, and keep the same time.
2
Join a club along the river at Putney, from rowing to running, so you meet people who train together every week.
3
Use Gofrendly to find women near you in Balham, Earlsfield or Southfields, and suggest a coffee at Tooting Market.
4
When you hit it off, name a day and a place before you leave.
Handpicked reading
Who wrote this
Gofrendly’s editors and founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja created this guide for women in Wandsworth whose old friends live across London, and who want a few new ones on their own side of the river.
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Friendship looks different at every stage
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