Making friends in a new town can be hard.

The big picture: Here are six groups to follow and places to check out if you want to grow your social circle in Sale, Trafford.

Why it matters: New people are moving to Sale every month. Finding a new friend or social group can be intimidating in a new town.

What's more: Our ongoing loneliness epidemic has become a real threat to our wellbeing. In 2022, 49.63% of adults (nearly 26 million people) in the UK reported feeling lonely occasionally, sometimes, often or always.

Volunteer in green spaces

Sale is home to plenty of green spaces and parks, some of which have won the prestigious Green Flag Award year after year. If you love the outdoors, join one of the park’s ‘Friends of…’ groups. Here, you can volunteer some time to improve the green spaces and meet some new people who share similar interests to you. It’s a win-win!

How to join: Some popular ‘friends of…’ groups include Friends of Worthington Park, Friends of Ashton Park, Friends of Walton Park and Walkden Gardens. They have different opportunities to get involved, so pick one that works for your schedule.

Socialise with fellow book lovers…

Yay, book clubs are cool again! They are also a great way to meet new friends, as you already know you’ll have something in common with the other people at the club - a love of reading.

Sale’s independent bookshop, B for Butterfly Books, hosts a monthly book club at Mano a Bocca. Michelle Crosby, the bookshop’s owner, works hard to make new members welcome.

Meet for a drink or a meal beforehand, or turn up just to talk about the book of the month, it’s up to you.

How to join: Contact Michelle via bforbutterflybooks.com.

Connect over weekly cardio

With their mantra of ‘no-one gets left behind”, Mile Shy Club is a running and walking club for beginners. Sale running groups take place Tuesdays and Thursdays.

How to join: Complete this form

If you’re keen on running, but don’t want to join a club, take part in parkrun at Sale Water Park, Saturdays at 9am.

Stretch your social circle with yoga

Yoga Social Club hosts yoga classes for social people. It has built a community for people to stretch, breathe and smile. And don’t worry if you’re “not flexible” – everyone is welcome and a supposed lack of flexibility is definitely not a barrier to attending!

How to join: Yoga Social Club hosts regular sessions Hiya in Stanley Square, followed by coffee and drinks at Jackalope and Greens Sale.

BOOK A CLASS

Bond through a local sports team

Turn a teammate into a friend through a friendly session of rowing or rugby.

Teams to join include:

🐉 Manchester Dragon Boat Club. A fun, welcoming club that coaches team spirit and dragon boat fitness.

🏉 Sign up for a social membership for Trafford MV Women's Rugby. The team trains Tuesdays and Thursdays and all experience is welcome.

Brunch with mums

The Mum Club hosts Sale Brunch Club at one of Sale’s premium brunch spots, Jackalope!

A welcoming environment to meet some other amazing women who also happen to have children.

How to join: Follow @themumclubhale to see all the latest Sale events.

6 best ways to make friends in Sale, M33