# UK belonging and participation

Chapter 16 | Captured 24 September 2026

## Finding

“Come and make friends” is a big ask. A clear shared activity, and knowing it is fine to arrive alone, can give someone a more comfortable reason to turn up.

## Conversations

One Londoner wants ways to meet people through making, exhibitions, walks or food rather than drinking. Other accounts point to seeing people again, not just attending one event.

Counterpoint: The Bristol account objects to layered participation costs. Regularity is a recurring suggestion, but one participant specifically wants low-key spontaneous company rather than a new scheduled commitment.

## Recommendation for the Sol de Janeiro launch

Design an SDJ experience around something people can do together. Make solo arrival, timings and costs clear, and think about a reason to reconnect afterwards. Treat friendship as something participants may build over time.

## Limits

No representative UK loneliness prevalence, verified organiser misconduct or evidence a branded activation creates belonging. Event attendance in source conversations is mostly intended, not confirmed. Current mist/brand discussion does not substantiate future EDP performance or exact new-product demand.

## Current sizing

Overlapping sets: do not add these rows. Ahrefs estimated UK monthly Google searches, latest-known 12-month average.

- 15_fragrance_workshop_proxy / original_mapped_set: 940; 84 keywords; not_full_relevance_audited
- 15_supper_social_proxy / original_mapped_set: 1,740; 174 keywords; not_full_relevance_audited

## Exact selected quotations

I’m 28F and since leaving uni I’ve found it quite hard to make new friends, especially as I don’t drink, so a lot of the usual pub/bar-based socialising isn’t really my thing.

https://www.reddit.com/r/LondonLadies/comments/1vj6nmd/wherehow_did_you_make_friends_in_london_in_your/
Posted 2026-08-08

What matters most is doing something that you enjoy, and something that is regular (ideally weekly) as a one-off or quarterly thing just won't work.

https://www.reddit.com/r/LondonLadies/comments/1vj6nmd/comment/p308dsl/
Posted date unavailable

Plus, what if I had to move cities again? Most advice on making friends includes trying new hobbies - but what if I have enough hobbies and all I want is just to meet people in the most efficient way and I’m not interested in joining another tennis club or going on hikes?

https://www.reddit.com/r/london/comments/zwiznr
Posted 2022-12-27

Recently I thought to try it and I signed up. After signing up for the free week I tried to access one of the events. When I did I saw there was a price for a ticket and it confused me a lot. I tried to get a ticket to which it then bugged me to get a membership and I ended up paying £14.99. I then went back and found I would have to pay an additional £19.99 for the ticket.

https://en.reddit.com/r/bristol/comments/1ukz5ey/circle_up_is_not_worth_it/
Posted date unavailable

## Source conversations

- [Where/how did you make friends in London in your late 20s?](https://www.reddit.com/r/LondonLadies/comments/1vj6nmd/wherehow_did_you_make_friends_in_london_in_your/)
- [I think I've made friends - my advice](https://www.reddit.com/r/london/comments/15hx81x)
- [Making friends in London as an adult. Seeking constructive feedback for an idea](https://www.reddit.com/r/london/comments/zwiznr)
- [Circle Up Is Not Worth It... : bristol](https://en.reddit.com/r/bristol/comments/1ukz5ey/circle_up_is_not_worth_it/)
- [[2/4/26] F21 @The Jazz Cafe - Bank Holiday Party: 100% Brazilian Club Music](https://www.reddit.com/r/LondonSocialClub/comments/1s1c1xv/2426_f21_the_jazz_cafe_bank_holiday_party_100/)
- [[05/09/25] Rubel @ The Jazz Café](https://www.reddit.com/r/LondonSocialClub/comments/1n5tlkk)
- [Brazilians in London](https://www.reddit.com/r/Brazil/comments/1wakwqg/brazilians_in_london/)