- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 21, 2026
Make Friends After 40 in Shropshire When Life Starts Over
Shropshire has a few hundred fewer people in their forties now than it did in 2021, so starting again socially is worth a little planning.
333,000+
Shropshire Council residents at mid-2025, with Telford and Wrekin counted separately (ONS)
11%
of Shropshire people are in their 40s, while across the West Midlands it is 12% (ONS mid-2025)
8%
of Shropshire’s households are classed as lone-parent families; West Midlands 12% (Census 2021)
Shropshire, starting over
Starting your social life again in your 40s in Shropshire, once a separation is behind you, often means replacing the couple friends who drifted to one side. Shrewsbury Road Runners meet on Monday and Wednesday evenings, Oswestry Library has a reading group each month, and parkruns run at Henley Wood and Alderford Lake. On Gofrendly you can meet nearby women who are starting again too.
Shropshire questions about starting over
Which Shropshire running club meets on weekday evenings?
Shrewsbury Road Runners meet at 6.30pm on Mondays from the Co-op car park on Bank Farm Road and at the same time on Wednesdays from the Shirehall car park, with group runs on Sundays. The Shropshire club says Monday sessions may split into more than one training group.
Which parkruns can I do in Shropshire?
Shropshire has Saturday parkruns at Henley Wood near Oswestry, Alderford Lake near Whitchurch, Severn Valley Country Park and Haughmond Hill, and Ludlow runners have one in Mortimer Forest, south-west of town. All are timed over 5k, and you can walk or volunteer instead.
After a divorce in Shropshire, where should a woman in her 40s look for friends?
Look for weekly groups where you can arrive alone, such as a club run or a library reading group. Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, connects you with women in Shropshire who are also separated or divorced, so your first meeting can be with someone who understands.
Which Shropshire library groups meet each month?
Oswestry Library’s reading group gathers on each month’s last Wednesday, and the same Shropshire library hosts Crafty Knitters on the fourth Monday morning and a monthly Singing for Fun session at lunchtime. Ask the library staff about joining the next reading group meeting.
Making new friendships of your own in Shropshire
After a split, plenty of shared friendships quietly go with the house or the other half. In Shropshire, where towns like Oswestry, Whitchurch and Bridgnorth each feel quite separate, it is worth picking one place and becoming a regular there. A club run, a book group or a craft session is an excuse to get out of the house that is unconnected to the past, and nobody needs your history before they hand you a cup of tea.
Shropshire has slightly fewer residents in their 40s than in 2021, while the West Midlands grew, so finding women at your stage can take a little more effort. Evenings in the first months alone can be lonely; a fixed weekly group fills one of them and gives you something to plan around. It is a steady way to make friends after 40 who know the person you are today. Start small: one club, one evening. Places to begin:
1
Shrewsbury Road Runners, with club runs at 6.30pm on Monday and Wednesday evenings.
2
Oswestry Library’s reading group, held on the final Wednesday monthly.
3
Henley Wood parkrun in Oswestry, every Saturday morning.
4
The Friday Night Book Club at Market Drayton Library.
5
Knit and Natter at Ludlow Library on Wednesday mornings.
LOCAL TIP
Say yes to one invitation a week, even a small one.
How to
How to build a fresh circle of friends in Shropshire
1
Join a Shrewsbury Road Runners session from the Co-op car park on Bank Farm Road on a Monday evening.
2
Book a place at the Friday Night Book Club in Market Drayton for a Friday evening out among readers.
3
Get in touch on Gofrendly with women rebuilding after a separation and meet at Alderford Lake parkrun.
4
Bring your knitting to Ludlow Library on a Wednesday, where the weekly group costs £1.
Endings, and what comes after
Written for women starting over
Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja and our editors wrote these Shropshire suggestions with forty-something women in mind who are putting a life back together after a separation.
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.