29 Mar 2024
Mad about Meetups: Expat Meetup Groups
Community Networking

Mad about Meetups: Expat Meetup Groups

Meetup is one of the top two websites I recommend to friends and acquaintances (do I have to tell you which the other is?)  For families, for singles, for sporty people, for party people, for language learners, for foodies (note to self: must follow them): it has something for everyone.

Below is a list of the 10 most active meetup groups in Stockholm; for the full list click here. I’m featuring one in particular as it is close to my heart and by far and away my most used, but do point and click to the one that speaks to you. The feature I love about Meetup is the ability to add all meetups to your online calendar; it’s great for event planning.

The Stockholm Expat Meetup Group

Language Exchange – Stockholm

The Stockholm International Parents Meetup Group

The Vegetarian Corner

Stockholm Party People

Stockholm Sporty People

Stockholm Foodies Meetup Group

Out In: STHLM – The Gay Social Club of Stockholm

Stockholm Walking / Hiking Group

The Stockholm Film Club Meetup Group

 

Featured: The Stockholm International Parents Meetup Group

Where did we English-speaking parents in Stockholm go before Breigh? I’ve asked myself often. I was there in that bleak time before the meet-up group when most friends you made were online and if you were lucky you might get to a group meeting in Stockholm once a month. More sporadic individual get-togethers were your best chance of getting through the task of being a first-time mum in a brave new world. When Breigh arrived in 2010 with her gorgeous then 2-year old, Mia, in town, she was determined to build up relationships with other expats and playdates for her daughter. In doing so, she created a whole community.

‘When Mia was only 18 months old, we lived in Copenhagen for 6 months, where I joined a mummy Meetup group. It was very successful and I made a lot of lovely friends. It made our time there as foreigners, easier and more enjoyable. Stockholm is very much like Copenhagen, in the respect that most Swedish toddlers attend childcare from around 18 months. There aren’t as many stay-at-home Swedish mums as there are expat ones and so there can be a lack of things to do for children between 1 and 5. I understood there were many families that did not speak Swedish and would perhaps feel a little lost without a network of friends. I searched online to see if there was a family-orientated group which actually met face-to-face weekly, but no luck. That was when I decided to start The Stockholm International Parents Meetup Group.

I feel the group has been so beneficial to us. It has helped us find our feet and make amazing friends who we can relate to, and seek support from. Friends that are there to comfort when feeling homesick, and to share the sunny side of living in Stockholm, even in the Winter!’

Mia is now 4 and the meetup group today has a following of over 500 mums and dads from all around the world. In the past 2 years, both parents and children have made friends for life (I know I have). There’s something on almost every day, from pregnant ladies fika to a regular English speaking playgroup to an Autumn fair at Skansen. At the least, it’s an event planner for families who don’t know what to do on the weekend; at the most, it’s where friendships are made and cemented both in the sandpit and on the parents’ benches looking on.

Thank you Breigh.

Interested in joining the group? Please click here.

Article by Farrah Gillani

Photos by Breigh Mattson

3 Comments

  • Amanda Norling 9 Oct 2012

    Thank you for raising the profile of this wonderful group! We have belonged to meetup since we moved here and have met so many families this way. Through the group’s frequent and varied family-friendly activities we have also learned of parks, events, and other resources.

  • Sarah BV 21 Oct 2012

    Due to Briegh and Charlie’s fantastic contributions to expat parenting life in Sweden, many smaller groups have formed such as Taby mums on FB. We are eternally grateful to their efforts in creating a community for us.

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