Dating: How to Meet New People

When you’re a child there are endless opportunities to meet new people, but as an adult you tend to stick with the same people that you have known for years.

So how do you expand your social circle and hopefully meet potential suitors in the process?

Well we might just be a little biased here, but if you’re looking to find other single people with the same interests as you than internet dating sites are a great option. You could also try singles events in your area, like speed dating or of course Muddy Matches’ very own Mud Lovers Ball.

However, if you’re looking to meet new people without a focus on dating here are a few suggestions …

Volunteering

When Joey in Friends announced that “there’s no such thing as a selfless good deed” he was definitely onto something. Signing up as a volunteer allows you to meet new people and to do something that you enjoy. Bird lovers, for example can volunteer with organisations including the RSPB or fans of the great outdoors can join The Conservation Volunteers.

If you sign up for Orange Rock Corps you can also get a ticket to a gig in exchange for your hard work.

Spend the weekend on a farm

Admittedly this isn’t one for people who spend their working week on a farm, but if you’re an urbanite with a longing to live the rural idle there are a number of organisations that allow you to do so for free.

Get stuck in with WWOOF, which offers a network of organic farms, where you can volunteer in exchange for your accommodation. Ford Hall Farm also offers the opportunity to stay in a yurt if you’re willing to get ‘mucky’ on their organic farm.

If you love your experience you can always arrange another farming weekend with your new companions.

Join a club

You’ve probably heard it a million times, but joining a club is the perfect way to meet people who are interested in the same thing as you. Just make sure you’re joining because you’re keen to take part not just because you’ve heard it has the best male/female ratio; it might become obvious if you’re joined a belly dancing group to meet women.

Try a new sport

What do dancing and martial arts have in common? No it’s not a dreadful joke; they’re both sports that encourage people to partner up. So head down to your local community centre or sports centre to see what activities they have on offer from ballroom to Taekwondo.

Go to events

Events are a fantastic way to meet new people and people are generally in good spirits. Lots of events even have their own Facebook and Twitter accounts so you get talking to people online before you go.

Focus on the kind of events you really enjoy and you are bound to meet like-minded people. Country lovers, for example, can use the Muddy Matches ‘Who’s Going?’ feature to find events they like and get chatting to other people are hoping to go. If you’re looking for someone to attend a particular event with check out our ‘Who’s going?’ page.

What are your top tips for meeting new people? Join the conversation on our Facebook page.