Moving to a new country is such an exciting time; with almost 300,000 Brits emigrating each year you will be in good company – if you want to hang out with other expats that is. If integrating with the locals is more your thing, here are a couple of easy ways to get out and about and meet like-minded people.
Check out your local community website or Facebook page or even local newspaper. Small communities are proud of what they are and are always keen to share their news and include more people. It’s just a case of finding them and joining in or volunteering at events they are organising.
Thanks to developing technology there are a world of apps that you can put to good use as a way to find like-minded people.
● Meetup – this app works across thousands of cities, bringing together groups of people all with similar interests. You sign up and check out what is happening in your local area. You can define your search with a multitude of parameters, so if you’re looking for people of the same age, same interests or hobbies, you are pretty much guaranteed to find someone or group for you.
● Hoop – this app is designed to help you find entertainment for your small (or big) children. It shows you what activities and classes are going on around you. There is something for all tastes, ages and budgets and in the process of doing classes or meeting up with other families, you should hopefully meet people with a similar mentality.
● Mush – this is another one for mums. It claims to be the number one local social network for making mum friends. Simply download the app, see who is nearby (and desperate for an adult conversation) and organise a meetup.
● Citysocializer – essentially this app lets you search for activities and socials in your local area that appeal to you. When you’ve found something that you like the sound of you sign up to it and go along. If you don’t like it, you don’t go again and resume the hunt for more fun.
● Nextdoor – this is a private network for neighbourhoods to use and residents to tap into. It’s your own community facebook-esque page. You can meet your neighbours through it, arrange socials and gatherings or discuss current issues.
● Peanut – this is another app designed for mums looking to meet other mums to hang out with, arrange playdates for the kids or just to garner a sense of self.
● Bumble – famously a dating app, but this one also offers more than just the chance for romance (or a quick hook up). If you adjust the settings you can search for new friends in much the same way you would search for a date.
● Meet my dog – if you have a dog you will know how easy it is to talk to other dog walkers, you instantly have something in common – a shared love of pooches. So the idea behind this app is to make meeting doggy people less random. You sign up, see what dogs (and owners) are in the area and arrange a
