- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 17, 2026
Make Friends in South Yorkshire, from country parks to market towns
South Yorkshire’s three boroughs beyond the big city hold more than 854,000 people, and 19% of households rent from a social landlord.
854,000+
South Yorkshire residents across Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham, leaving Sheffield out (ONS mid-2025)
19.0%
of households in these three South Yorkshire boroughs rent socially; Yorkshire and the Humber stands at 17.3% (Census 2021, ONS)
10.3%
is the share of divorced adults (16+) in these South Yorkshire boroughs, above the regional 9.4% (Census 2021, ONS)
South Yorkshire friendships grow borough by borough
To make friends in South Yorkshire, look for one fixed weekly plan in the borough where you live and make it non-negotiable. A walk round Rother Valley Country Park, a class in Barnsley town centre or a morning at Potteric Carr near Doncaster keeps you meeting the same people, and familiarity turns into friendship. Sheffield is covered by a separate hub, and this page looks at the boroughs around it. Gofrendly helps women in South Yorkshire meet others close by.
South Yorkshire, asked by women nearby
Why is the city missing from this South Yorkshire page?
Sheffield, served by a dedicated Meet People hub, is therefore not part of these figures. This South Yorkshire page covers Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham, and each of those boroughs also has a dedicated page if you want more local detail.
Which South Yorkshire parks are good for a walk together?
Rother Valley Country Park has level loops around its lakes, and the parkland at Cannon Hall is open and gentle. In South Yorkshire, an hour on foot with a stop at a café is a simple way to learn more about each other.
Where do South Yorkshire women find friends near home?
Gofrendly is a women-only friendship app that shows South Yorkshire women who live near you. Swap a few messages, meet somewhere local and familiar to you both, and fix a second walk or coffee there and then so the friendship keeps moving.
First meet-up in South Yorkshire: which places work?
Cannon Hall has gardens, a museum and a café, and Wentworth Woodhouse offers house tours and a café. Both South Yorkshire options give you things to talk about and an easy way to keep the first meeting short if you prefer.
South Yorkshire outside the city
This page looks at the three South Yorkshire boroughs outside Sheffield: Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham, and each borough has its own dedicated page as well. Because Sheffield is served by a separate Meet People hub, the steel city sits outside the figures here. Every borough has its own town centre, country parks and estates, which makes it easy to find something without travelling far, and libraries and community centres list what runs locally.
Social renting is slightly more widespread than regionally, and so is divorce. Shift work and caring for others can squeeze social time, and after a separation or a house move it can feel lonely. A low-cost weekly fixture helps, such as a parkrun, a community choir, rambling or a regular shift at a food bank. Free activities in the country parks are a good way to get started. A few spots worth trying first, borough by borough:
1
Wentworth Woodhouse near Rotherham, a vast Georgian house with gardens and tours.
2
Rother Valley Country Park, where lakes, watersports and a café share one site.
3
Cannon Hall near Cawthorne, a museum, park and walled garden run by Barnsley Council.
4
Potteric Carr near Doncaster, a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust wetland reserve with hides.
5
Cusworth Hall near Doncaster, a Georgian house with a museum and parkland.
LOCAL TIP
Start at the closest and go back each week.
How to
Meeting people in South Yorkshire, close to your borough
1
Join something weekly in your own borough, ideally free or cheap.
2
Ask a regular from the group to walk the lakes at Rother Valley with you.
3
Find South Yorkshire women nearby via Gofrendly and suggest coffee in a country park.
4
Give an afternoon a month to a nature reserve, a food bank or a community centre.
One true story, old friends again
South Yorkshire page: about our writers
The South Yorkshire page comes from Gofrendly’s founders, Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, together with our editors. Country parks, estates and town centres across the three boroughs are its subject, as spots for women to make friends nearby.
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.