Brighton is an exciting and vibrant city with a thriving population. But even with this, many of us might struggle to make friends and create a community. While this can certainly be challenging, it doesn’t have to be so. There are many ways you can go about making friends in Brighton, and there is something to suit your preferences, budget, and available time.
In this article, we’ll talk about some suggestions for making friends and overall becoming more social within Brighton.
Join Social Clubs
It goes without saying, but one of the easiest ways to make friends in any city is to join social clubs. These clubs will see you connecting with people who share your specific interests and hopefully, become friends over time. And the good news is that there is a club for virtually every activity you can think of. There are clubs for board games, knitting, seeing films, running, and much more.
Some of these clubs will meet weekly, some monthly, and much more. So, no matter how seriously or casually you want to engage with the club, there will be something for you. Your best bet will be to go on platforms like Meetup and Eventbrite to see what upcoming activities you can take part in. It might take a bit of trial and error, but eventually, you should find the group that best speaks to you and make friends.
Try Out Activities
As much as joining social clubs is a great way to make friends, you can also meet people by simply trying out activities without first looking for a group to go with. For example, you can attend art exhibitions, concerts, mixers, parties, and much more by yourself and eventually find people you connect with. Art galleries like Jerwood and Towner and event centres like the Brighton Dome are known to host some of the most exciting events at any given time, and so, they’ll be a great option.
It is also worth noting that some of these activities can be enjoyed both online and offline. Take gambling, for example. It’s not unheard of for people to make friends in physical casinos or high street betting shops, as there are often opportunities to chat or even eat or drink on the premises.
At the same time, you can also enjoy gambling online as there has been a rise in platforms that support casino games and various sports betting markets. For example, you can check horse racing odds online and discuss with your new friends which one you’re going to bet on. You can also play casino games at live dealer tables online, and there is often a chat function so you can talk to the dealer and the other players around the table, all from the comfort of your home.
Make Friends Online
Because so many of us are trying to make friends and create a community, a myriad of options have popped up that allow users to make friends online. Platforms like Bumble BFF, for example, allow you to essentially go through a similar process to online dating, but to make friends. You can select the gender of a friend you want, look at people’s profiles, and decide who you would like to spend more time getting to know. Just like with dating, you might have to go on a couple of uninspiring friend dates, but eventually, you should get the hang of it and make new friends.
Of course, you should apply caution when doing this and be careful of who you meet in person, especially in private places.
Volunteering
If you have enough time and feel so inclined, you can also consider volunteering as a way to make friends. Brighton has a myriad of charitable organizations within it, such as the British Heart Foundation and Cancer UK, that have charity shops on London Road. There are also charities such as Together Co and Community Base which tend to take volunteers. Volunteering could mean working the counter at a charity shop, helping to sort donations, soliciting donations in the streets, or handling admin tasks.
Volunteering can be great because it offers you a chance to give back to society and help a good cause. It can also be a way to make friends, some of whom may be in your life long term. It’s not unheard of for people to bond during their volunteering activities and for this to lead to a genuine friendship. After all, you already have shared values based on the cause you choose to volunteer your time to and will likely spend at least a few hours a week together. Look into volunteering opportunities within Brighton and see if any of these interest you.
Supper With Strangers
Perhaps one of the more interesting ways you can go about making friends is trying a supper with strangers adventure. Many of these have popped up around the world, including in the UK. This essentially sees you paying a ticket fee to be randomly paired with a group of strangers for dinner. You are not told who these people are and, in some cases, are not told what place you are going to meet for supper until the day itself. It is completely up to the hands of fate (and the organizers) what meal you enjoy and who you enjoy with, and this can be a very interesting novel experience.
It’s likely that you’ll be paired up with people who are also passionately seeking friends and have a sense of adventure. If this is something you might consider, look online through sites like Eventbrite and sign up.
Conclusion
Making friends, especially as an adult, can be a complicated and sometimes frustrating task. The good news is that there are several ways to go about it, with something for everyone. As highlighted in this article, you could go the traditional route of joining clubs or trying to make friends online or could do something like volunteering or even going on blind friend dates. Make sure that you are being safe and having fun, whichever method you choose to try, and hopefully, you’ll come out of the experience with some truly valuable and rewarding friendships.
