Moving to a whole new area can be a challenge at the best of times, especially when leaving friends and family behind. And with people’s experiences of the pandemic driving many buyers to search for more space, many will have moved away from areas they know well. But for those moving into a new village with an existing tight-knit community, the challenge of integrating might seem even more daunting. Having made the switch from London to rural Yorkshire myself many years ago, here are my tips for getting up to speed with village life.
A village pub tends to be the heart of the community and you might be surprised just how far a friendly smile goes when you get there. If you stand at the bar people are likely to talk to you and, by asking lots of questions, you’ll discover so much about the local area. In fact, the pub is how I get all my recommendations on plumbers, carpenters and electricians.
Prepare to give up a lot of your weekend by getting involved in local sports clubs as that’s a great way to meet people and bond with the rest of your team. So, whether it’s joining your local rugby league, trying your hand at some tennis, cricket or snooker in the village hall, checking what’s going on via social media or the parish council newsletter should be a priority.
If you have young children you’ll naturally get to know others at the school gate. But beyond that and your youngsters making friends, joining the school’s PTA and helping out with fundraisers can be another great way of integrating into the local community – even if it is just baking a batch of butterfly cakes for the summer fête. Likewise, throwing the odd coffee morning here and there or hosting an annual Easter egg hunt or Hallowe’en party for other families can make a real difference.
Go walking. Most villages tend to have a network of local footpaths which are regularly used by walkers with or without a dog. You might not instantly make friends this way, but you will become a familiar face and this does matter.
Buy local. It might seem so obvious that perhaps it is overlooked, but supporting local businesses is a great way to show that you want to contribute whether that is doing a weekly shop at the local store, buying eggs from a nearby farm or using a local painter and decorator when sprucing up your new home.
Finally, work out who the local influencers are, and by influencer I don’t mean those with the biggest social media followings. Traditionally they tend to be the village school’s head teacher, the local vicar, owner of a local shop or the pub landlord. I would suggest introducing yourself and asking them for advice on how to get to know the community better. I am sure that they will appreciate any effort that you make.
