You make time for work, the gym, the commute.So when did you last make time for him?
RealMates is a campaign helping young men build closer friendships. Because having people you can laugh with, be yourself around and turn to makes a real difference to everyday life.
Friendship isn't a nice-to-have.
It's one of the foundations of a good life.Friendship needs attention too.
We're taught to invest in our careers, our money and our bodies. We know that if we neglect them, they suffer. Friendship gets left on autopilot.
Like any relationship, it grows with time and effort and fades without it. The difference is that nobody notices it fading until years have passed and the people who knew us best have quietly drifted away.
Starting uni, moving away or finding your feet at work can change your friendships. Keeping close takes effort, but you don't have to figure it out on your own.
Why this matters.
of men would turn to a friend for emotional support, compared with 54% of women.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2025of British men say they don't have a best friend, compared with 26% of women.
Source: YouGov, 2021greater likelihood of survival for people with strong social relationships.
Source: Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010Closer mates. Better lives..
RealMates is about making it normal for young men to talk honestly, make time for each other and show they care. Not changing who you are - getting more out of the friendships that matter to you.
Ask about more than the usual updates. Show up for the ordinary days. Care enough to keep in touch. Stronger friendships don't happen by chance. They happen when somebody decides they're worth the effort.
Connect in person.
People move, friends couple up and old groups scatter. Making mates as an adult is hard, and nobody talks about it. The Great Friendship Project creates relaxed, in-person ways for people in their 20s and 30s to meet and build real friendships. Come on your own. Most people do.
