Making New Friends After 40 in the North East

North East towns are close-knit, which helps once you are in. We look at ways into circles that formed long ago.

Your forties in the North East: a group of four women deep in cheerful conversation at an outdoor table on a warm evening

166K+

Women aged 40 to 49 in the North East (ONS)

11.8%

In their 40s, the lowest share of England’s regions (ONS)

13K+

More women here in their 50s than in their 40s (ONS)

Friendship After 40, North East Edition

At 11.8% of residents, people in their 40s make up a smaller share of the North East than of any other English region, with around 166,700 women in that age group (ONS, mid-2025). Friendship groups in Sunderland, Durham, Darlington or Hexham can date back to school. That is lovely if you are in one, and harder if you have just arrived or drifted away. If you want to make friends after 40 in the North East, the trick is to join something with a regular slot, such as a running club, a choir or a volunteering rota, and to say yes to the second invitation as well as the first. Close-knit communities take a while to open up, but once they do, they tend to stay open.

Further Reading for Your 40s

September Reset: A Genuine Way to Rebuild Your Habits and Your Friendships

A genuine September reset isn't just about habits. Here's how the "fresh start effect" works — and why your friendships deserve a reset this year too.

Read the story →

Best Friendship Apps in the UK: A Genuine Way to Find Your New Best Friend

A clear, honest comparison of the best friendship apps UK has to offer — Gofrendly, Peanut and Bumble BFF — and how to actually start making friends through them.

Read the story →

Written for Women in the North East

Claudia Gard and Ulrika Lilja are the Gofrendly editors behind this page. Here they look at how women in their 40s find a way into close-knit North East communities.