October 21, 2026

Make Friends After 40 in Somerset Around a Parent Who Needs You

Somerset counts more than 34,000 women in their forties, many fitting friendships around a mum or dad who needs extra help these days.

Three Somerset women over 40 helpless with giggles while driving somewhere together

590,000+

people live under Somerset Council, according to mid-2025 ONS figures

34,000+

Somerset women in the 40–49 bracket, an age band making up 11% of the county versus 12% regionally (ONS 2025 mid-year)

40%

of Somerset households have cleared the mortgage entirely; South West, 38% (Census 2021)

Caring in Somerset, and still making friends

In your 40s in Somerset, caring for an ageing parent can leave you with short, unpredictable gaps rather than whole evenings free. Pick groups that shrug off a missed week: Hooked on Books meets once a month at Frome Library, Longrun Meadow parkrun runs every Saturday in Taunton, and Somerset Choral Society welcomes new voices without an audition. With Gofrendly you can reach other women nearby juggling the same visits and phone calls.

Questions from Somerset women caring for a parent

Two Somerset friends in their forties fooling around beneath a streetlamp after dark

Which Somerset choir welcomes singers with no audition?

Somerset Choral Society does. It rehearses on Wednesday evenings at 7pm, from September to May, at the Cheddar RC Community Hall in Tweentown, and says there are no auditions. It is a mixed choir of around thirty voices and welcomes new members.

Has the operator of east Somerset's leisure centres changed?

Freedom Leisure took over five east Somerset centres on 1 July 2026 under an interim contract with Somerset Council: Frome Leisure Centre, Strode Swimming and Fitness in Street, Shepton Mallet Lido, Tor Sports and Leisure Centre in Glastonbury and Wells Leisure Centre.

Short on spare time: how do Somerset women of 40-plus make new friends?

Look for short, regular slots and say yes to a coffee afterwards. Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, helps you find women in Somerset at a similar stage, including those caring for parents, so a quick walk can fit between visits rather than waiting for a free evening.

Which Somerset library has a monthly afternoon book group?

Wells Library. Its Third Thursdays Book Group meets at Wells Library in Somerset every third Thursday at 2pm, with a small subscription. The same library is also home to the Wells Writers Group, which gathers from 2pm to 4pm on the second Tuesday monthly.

Meeting people in Somerset while you look after a parent

When a parent starts to need you, the first casualty is usually the spontaneous drink or the last-minute walk. In Somerset, where a trip to a parent can mean a long drive across the county, it helps to choose one fixed slot a week and guard it. A once-a-month book club or a Saturday 5k asks for an hour, not a commitment you will keep breaking. Tell the group what is going on, so an occasional absence needs no long explanation.

Women in their 40s make up a slightly smaller share of Somerset than of the wider South West, so it may be worth looking a little further for friendships at this stage. Caring can feel lonely even when you are surrounded by family, and that is a good reason to make friends after 40 who know you as more than a daughter. Here are some easy places to start:

Hooked on Books at Frome Library, a drop-in book group meeting on the final Wednesday each month.

Longrun Meadow parkrun in Taunton, a 5k every Saturday at 9am.

Somerset Choral Society, rehearsing in Cheddar on Wednesday evenings with no auditions.

Knit and Natter at Chard Library, every Thursday afternoon.

Somerset Wildlife Trust, whose East Mendips Conservation Volunteers are taking new members.

LOCAL TIP

Guard one hour a week and build from there.

How to

How to make friends in Somerset when your time is not your own

Choose one group that meets monthly, such as the Frome Library book group, so a missed session does not mean starting over.

Walk, jog or volunteer at Longrun Meadow parkrun on whichever Saturday a sibling can cover the morning visit.

On Gofrendly, reach out to women close by who look after a parent as well, then propose a short coffee near home.

Contact Somerset Wildlife Trust about joining the East Mendips Conservation Volunteers if outdoor work clears your head after a hard week.

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Notes on this Somerset page

Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja wrote this with help from our editors, picturing Somerset women in their forties who keep an eye on an ageing parent.