The Guardian
· collected 2026-09-17 · by Nicola Slawson and Jane Clinton
The article reports on how adults are forming new friendships despite challenges associated with loneliness and social isolation, particularly among young people in England. New research from the Institute for Public Policy Research shows that since 2014, the number of young individuals without close friends has increased fivefold, affecting one in every twenty young people. The piece highlights personal stories of Rhiannon, a 35-year-old ghostwriter who found community through a knitting group; Ria, a 27-year-old professional from Mumbai now living in Reading, who created the London Coffee Club to connect with others; and Rebecca, a 31-year-old NHS worker who joined exercise classes to combat loneliness from working remotely.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Amid growing concern about loneliness and social isolation among young people in England, new research from the Institute for Public Policy Research revealed that the number of individuals aged 18-34 with no close friends has risen fivefold since 2014. Currently, one in every 20 young adults reports having no close friends at all.
One example highlighting this issue is Rhiannon, a 35-year-old ghostwriter from East Sussex, who found it challenging to maintain connections after separating from her husband and moving to a new town. Joining the Yarners, a local knitting and crochet group in Mayfield, has become “a lifeline” for her. Initially hesitant about being a beginner, she discovered that the group was welcoming and supportive.
Rhiannon emphasizes how the group provides not just a hobby session but also a sense of community. She notes, "No matter what is happening at home, I know for two hours a week I can just sit in a calm and supportive space with people who share my hobby." This experience underscores the importance of such groups in fostering new friendships and connections among adults facing social isolation.
Written for “Building Adult Connections” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Amid growing concern about loneliness and social isolation, new research from the Institute for Public Policy Research found the number of young people in England with no close friends has risen fivefold since 2014, with one in 20 now reporting having none at all.
asserted
one → grow → none
Making new friends as an adult is not always easy.
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Making → make → adult
We spoke to people who have taken deliberate steps to make new connections about what worked for them.
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what → speak → them
‘If I was in trouble in some way, I’ve now got people I could actually call’
uncertain
I → get → people
For Rhiannon, a 35-year-old ghostwriter from East Sussex, joining a local knitting and crochet group has become “a lifeline” after separating from her husband and moving a few towns away, and finding connections harder to maintain.
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joining → join → connections
In February, she joined the Yarners, a weekly group in Mayfield.
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she → join → Mayfield
Having only started crocheting a month earlier, she was “absolutely terrified” they would judge her for being a beginner.
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they → start → her
“But they didn’t care.”
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they → care → ?
The group quickly became an important part of her life.
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group → become → life
“No matter what is happening at home, I know for two hours a week I can just sit in a calm and supportive space with people who share my hobby.
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who → happen → hobby
It’s more than just a group.
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It → ’ → group
It’s a real community.”
asserted
It → ’ → ?
Having local friends to rely on is one of the biggest perks.
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Having → have → perks
“If I needed something, if I was in trouble in some way, I’ve now got people I could actually call and say: ‘Hey, can you help me?’”
uncertain
you → need → me
‘It just blew up.
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It → blow → ?
Ria, 27, moved from Mumbai to London five years ago, but after later moving to Reading, she found it harder to maintain the friendships she had made in the capital.
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she → move → capital
“I faced acute loneliness,” says Ria, who now works in mergers and acquisitions in London.
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who → face → London
“When people move away from their home, it gets tough at this age to make friends.”
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it → move → friends
In May, she created a WhatsApp group to bring her London friends together.
uncertain
she → create → friends
It soon expanded through friends of friends and Instagram.
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It → expand → friends
“It just blew up.
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It → blow → ?
The London Coffee Club holds meetups in cafes for groups of five to 10.
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Club → hold → 10
“I’m slightly introverted, so I don’t prefer big groups.
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I → ’m → groups
It’s a relaxed vibe.
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It → ’ → ?
‘She’s helping me and I’m helping her’
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I → help → her
Working from home left Rebecca, a 31-year-old NHS project support officer in Bristol, missing everyday social interaction.
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Working → work → interaction
“I completely underestimated how much I would miss face-to-face contact, even informal conversations such as, ‘How was your weekend?’”
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weekend → underestimate → contact
A few months ago, she joined exercise classes at her local leisure centre “as a way to make friends”.
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she → join → friends
Although “absolutely terrified” at first, she now attends pilates, weights and body conditioning classes about three times a week.
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she → attend → classes
“Even though you’re doing an exercise class, there’s that informal aspect where you are having a bit of a joke and a laugh.
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you → do → joke
Working from home, you don’t get that sort of office banter.
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you → work → banter
Rebecca has also met a new friend through Bristol Girls, a local Facebook group, and encouraged her to join the classes.
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Rebecca → meet → classes
“She’s helping me, and I’m helping her,” she says.
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she → help → her
‘I have met some of my closest friends here’
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I → meet → friends
After leaving his job as a primary school teacher Ben, 35, suddenly had more free time so thought he would use it to “meet new people” and get back into stage performance.
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he → leave → performance
“It was something I loved at school and at university,” says Ben, who lives in Gateshead and works in education.
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who → love → education
In 2017, he joined the People’s Theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne, a non-professional community theatre company, and has since performed in about 20 productions.
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he → join → productions
“The first year was non-stop as I jumped from play to play and met so many fantastic people,” he says.
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he → jump → people
“It’s been nearly a decade, and I count some people, even people I only met less than a year ago, as some of my closest friends.”
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I → count → friends
The friendships now extend well beyond rehearsals and performances, with regular social gatherings.
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friendships → extend → gatherings
…and 23 more, not listed.
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