How to make new friends

HAvE you moved house or are feeling in a bit of a rut? Expanding your social circle can help invigorate the spirit, open the mind to new ideas and pave the way to new fun experiences.

If you’re up for making some new friends, check out these tips:

> Turn acquaintances into friends: We’ve all met people we’ve liked but then unaccountably lost touch with them. Make a list of six people you like but whom you never really get to see. Get them together over lunch or dinner. Then make a note in your diary to call them six weeks later to meet again.

> Have a one pot supper: Parties are sometimes a big head- ache to organise and they quickly become “events” where people turn up in droves for the required half an hour, eat and then run. If you have a supper for a dozen friends though, you can all sit around one big table, chat and reconnect. To make it relaxing rather than a catering headache, throw your own version of “pot luck” where guests get to eat whatever you fancy cooking on the day. Keep it simple.

> Join an exercise class: Joining a gym may help you connect with new people and work out but it’s unlikely because so few people speak to strangers when they’re all hot and sweaty. Instead, join a class where you are introduced to others and work together.