Back in the fall of 2020, as the Netherlands and much of the world faced the prospect of a months-long lockdown, the need for ways to avoid isolation and find connections became more urgent – yet more difficult – than ever.

City Central developed a new branch of our existing My Local Friend programme to help address that need: Welcome Friend. We paired up recently arrived foreigners with an English-speaking local who could help answer their questions during the first few months of their stay in the Netherlands.

Now, with lockdowns hopefully a thing of the past (fingers crossed), we’re going to take some time to re-evaluate how Welcome Friend works and figure out the best way to keep answering your questions about the need-to-know and nice-to-know aspects of living in the north.

That means we will be taking the form to sign up for Welcome Friend offline – at least for the time being.

Together with our new team members at Connect International, we’re brainstorming about a few possibilities for what Welcome Friend can become in the future. We’ll be sure to keep you informed about what we come up with and how you can take part.

For anyone who has filled in a form to find or become a Welcome Friend in recent weeks: we still want to match you up! We will be in touch very soon with more information, and an invitation to join a match making session.

While we’re revamping the programme, here are our recommendations for the best places to hopefully find social connections and, more importantly, answers to your questions about life in Groningen, the north and the Netherlands in general.

City Central’s Instagram highlights: Expert & General Ask Me Anything

Join an upcoming City Central event

International Welcome Center North: Settling In

Connect International events in Groningen, Drenthe and Friesland

Groningen.nl: Practical Matters

And please be sure to follow us on Instagram and ask us any questions you have! We’re happy to help you find the answers and feel more at home here.