After 40 in the West Midlands: Making Friends Close to Home

From Wolverhampton and Dudley to rural Shropshire, the West Midlands has room for every kind of 40-something social life. Start with the one closest to home.

New friends after 40 across the West Midlands: women enjoying an unhurried dinner at a street café with fairy lights overhead

389K+

West Midlands women aged 40–49 (ONS, mid-2025)

12.3%

Of the region’s residents are in their 40s (ONS)

205K+

Women in their early 40s, aged 40–44 (ONS)

What Your 40s Look Like in the West Midlands

In mid-2025 the ONS estimated close to 390,000 women aged 40 to 49 in the West Midlands, just over half of them in their early 40s. For many, this is the busiest decade yet: a job at full stretch, teenagers who need lifts, and parents who are starting to lean on you. Friendships tend to be the first thing squeezed out, and the last thing we notice we have lost. The good news is that you can make friends after 40 in the West Midlands with surprisingly little time. A Tuesday evening class in Shrewsbury, a walking group in Malvern or a book club in Lichfield takes two hours a week and puts the same faces in front of you again and again. Our twenty local pages below run from Kidderminster to Royal Leamington Spa.

From the Blog: Stories and Practical Reads

Julia and Isabelle’s Real Friendship Story: A Genuine Connection Over Kitesurfing

Julia wanted to learn to kitesurf but had no one to go with. Here's how a single honest post on Gofrendly turned into a real friendship with Isabelle - wipeouts included.

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The Honest Way to Reconnect With Old Friends After Summer (Even If You’ve Drifted Apart)

Losing touch with a friend rarely happens on purpose. Here’s how to reconnect with old friends this autumn – gently, honestly, and without overthinking the first message.

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Meet the Writers

Claudia Gard and Ulrika Lilja, who edit Gofrendly’s friendship guides, put this page together for women in their 40s across the West Midlands, from the busiest towns to the quietest counties.