- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Southport, from Lord Street to Hesketh Park
Over-65s make up a quarter of Southport’s population, a share well beyond the North West, so daytime clubs along Lord Street rarely lack company.
94,400+
inhabitants of the Southport built-up area, taking in Birkdale and Churchtown (ONS, 2021)
26%
of residents across seven Southport wards are 65-plus; North West: 19% (Census 2021, ONS)
40%
of households across Southport’s seven wards own their home outright, set against 33% regionally (ONS 2021)
Southport has a library inside The Atkinson
Crafty Companions, a craft group on the last Thursday afternoon of the month at Southport Library inside The Atkinson, is a sociable way to make friends in Southport. The Atkinson on Lord Street also holds a theatre and a museum you can visit without paying, and Southport parkrun loops Hesketh Park every Saturday at 9am. Gofrendly is one more route to company for Southport women.
Southport, seaside questions answered
What is The Atkinson in Southport?
The Atkinson on Lord Street is Southport’s arts centre, combining the town library, a theatre, a café and a museum with galleries on Ancient Egypt and the local coast. The museum opens Monday to Saturday with no admission fee, which makes it a comfortable first outing for two.
Which Southport gardens won Green Flag Community Awards?
For 2026, the Kitchen Garden in Hesketh Park, run with the Bridge Inn Community Farm, and the Fernery and floral beds at the Botanic Gardens in Churchtown both hold Green Flag Community Awards. Volunteering at either is a gentle way to meet Southport neighbours.
Is Southport Pier open again?
Not yet. Southport Pier has been shut since December 2022, and in March 2026 the Government’s Growth Mission Fund approved £20 million for its repair, with no reopening date confirmed. Lord Street, the Marine Lake and the seafront promenade remain good walking routes for Southport friends meanwhile.
Retired in Southport: where can new friendships begin?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, helps retired women in Southport see which women live nearby and say a first hello. A morning in The Atkinson museum or a walk past the observatory in Hesketh Park is a calm idea for a first meeting.
Southport, a Victorian resort on the Sefton coast
Southport stretches along the Sefton shore towards Formby, known for the iron verandas and gardens of Lord Street, the Marine Lake and wide sands stretching towards Ainsdale. Across its seven wards, over 25% of the population are aged 65-plus and roughly 40% of homes are mortgage-free, both higher than the regional shares. Library sessions and park volunteering suit anyone with free daytime hours, and they soon gather friendly regulars.
Retirement or a quieter house can feel lonely by the sea. Southport Library hosts Shared Reading on the last Friday lunchtime, the Kitchen Garden at Hesketh Park and the Fernery at the Botanic Gardens in Churchtown both hold Green Flag Community Awards for 2026, and Kew Woods parkrun gives Birkdale its own Saturday run. Southport Pier has been closed since December 2022, though repair funding was approved in March 2026 and no reopening date has been set. Good places to begin:
1
Southport Library in The Atkinson, with Crafty Companions and Shared Reading.
2
Hesketh Park, home of the parkrun, an observatory and a community Kitchen Garden.
3
The Atkinson museum on Lord Street, open Monday to Saturday.
4
Dunes Leisure Centre on the Esplanade, with a 25-metre pool.
5
Kew Woods parkrun in Birkdale, also on Saturday mornings.
LOCAL TIP
Shared Reading on the last Friday is an unhurried first step.
How to
Southport: where to meet people week to week
1
Lend a hand at the Kitchen Garden in Hesketh Park with the volunteers there.
2
Take a project to Crafty Companions at the library on the last Thursday.
3
Plan an Atkinson museum morning with a Southport woman from Gofrendly.
4
Jog or stroll Southport parkrun around Hesketh Park one Saturday.
How long closeness takes, and catching up after summer
This Southport page was researched by
Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, who started Gofrendly, researched this Southport page with our editors for Sefton coast women who have retired, moved to the seaside or want company closer to home.
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.