- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Woking, from Woking Park to Horsell Common
Woking is home to the Shah Jahan Mosque of 1889, the first purpose-built mosque in the UK, and about 21% of Woking households are headed by married parents of dependent children.
106,100+
people in Woking borough, estimated by ONS for mid-2025
21%
of Woking borough households: married parents whose children are dependent; regional share 16% (Census 2021)
20%
of people in Woking borough are under 16; South East: 19% (ONS, Census 2021)
Woking gathers in Woking Park
Woking parkrun in Woking Park on Kingfield Road, starting at 9am every Saturday, is an easy way to make friends in Woking. The park also has a bandstand, tennis courts and Pool in the Park, Horsell Common Preservation Society holds volunteer mornings each second Sunday, and the covered Woking Market off Jubilee Square trades daily. Gofrendly helps Woking women connect nearby.
Woking questions, common to Lightbox
Which park hosts Woking parkrun?
Woking parkrun takes place in Woking Park on Kingfield Road every Saturday at 9am, next to Woking Leisure Centre and Pool in the Park. It welcomes walkers and volunteers alongside runners, which makes an easy weekly habit for anyone in Woking.
Who runs Woking Leisure Centre now?
Everyone Active took over Woking Leisure Centre, Pool in the Park, Eastwood Leisure Centre and Woking Sportsbox on 1 December 2025 under a ten-year contract. A £1.85m investment includes a refurbished fitness suite and a new reformer Pilates studio at the Woking centre.
Can I volunteer on Horsell Common?
Yes. Horsell Common Preservation Society, which owns and manages the common next to Woking, runs volunteer sessions every second Sunday from 10am to 1pm, including 8 November and 13 December 2026. Heather Farm, on the common, has a café for afterwards.
Where can Woking mums meet other women?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, lets Woking mums and other women see who lives nearby, so a first meeting can be agreed by message. Playtime in Woking Park or coffee at Heather Farm makes a relaxed first plan with children along.
Woking, a Surrey town with a story
Woking sits in north-west Surrey, with Brookwood Cemetery, opened in 1854 and once the largest in the world, to the west, and the Shah Jahan Mosque of 1889, the first purpose-built mosque in the UK, near the town centre. Across the borough, married parents of dependent children account for around 21% of households and about 20% of people are under 16, both a touch higher than across the region. Between school runs and trains to London, a weekly local habit is the surest way to build friendships.
On a quiet weekday, a commuter town can feel lonely. Woking Library on Gloucester Walk stays open until 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, The Lightbox on Chobham Road has a ground-floor gallery with no charge and Sunday drop-in drawing, and Everyone Active took over Woking Leisure Centre and Pool in the Park in December 2025. Brookwood Cemetery, west of the town, was named among this year’s South East Green Flag sites. Places to start:
1
Woking Park on Kingfield Road, with the parkrun and Pool in the Park.
2
Horsell Common, with volunteer Sundays and the Heather Farm café.
3
The Lightbox on Chobham Road, home of Woking’s Story.
4
Woking Library on Gloucester Walk, open late twice a week.
5
Woking Market, the covered market off Jubilee Square.
LOCAL TIP
Put the second-Sunday volunteer morning on Horsell Common in your diary.
How to
How to make friends in Woking, week by week
1
Volunteer with Horsell Common Preservation Society on a second-Sunday session.
2
Join the Sunday drop-in drawing at The Lightbox.
3
Invite Woking women from Gofrendly for coffee at Heather Farm.
4
Run or walk Woking parkrun, then join its volunteer rota.
Friendship on screen, and reconnecting off it
Our Woking guide and its writers
Our editors and Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja wrote this Woking guide for north-west Surrey women with young families, long commutes or a wish to widen their circle.
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.