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Freelancing Support

Find your community

A collection of freelance-first communities, where you can meet fellow freelancers, ask questions, get support, find work, resources, content and more.

Many communities are sector or capability specific, some are more general to all freelancers. We've tried to categorise the communities where we can, and list whether they're entirely free or have some paid offerings.

We prioritise communities which are UK focused, but have included a few global communities where they have strong UK memberships.

Remember, not every community will be right for you, and you might find it's useful to be a member of more than one community - or that you get different benefits from different groups of people.

You might also like this useful guide on why finding a community is so important.

If you'd like your community added to the list, please let us know

Online Communities

  • Community
    Great for
    Paid?
  • Being Freelance

    Freelancers share together - you're not alone being freelance.

    Great for

    General Freelancers

    Paid?

    From £6/monthly

  • blkbk

    A global non-profit community of experienced freelance designers, developers, illustrators, strategists and makers.

    Great for

    Designers

    Paid?

    Free

  • Clear Connect Network

    Offers dedicated advice, education, and opportunities tailored for Black Freelancers and Creatives in the UK.

    Great for

    Black Freelancers and Creatives

    Paid?

    Free

  • Creative Freelancers UK (IPSE)

    For UK freelancers from all creative industries to join in discussions, network, share ideas & thoughts, and have a general chit-chat!

    Great for

    Creative Industries

    Paid?

    Free

  • Digital Marketing Union

    The shared society of exceptional solo marketers

    Great for

    Digital Marketing Specialists

    Paid?

    £75/monthly

  • Freelance Fightback

    A freelance-only space to review and discuss client behaviours, to connect, share work and experience, and support one-another.

    Great for

    Creative Industry Freelancers

    Paid?

    Free

  • Freelance Business Community EU

    Supporting and connecting the freelance ecosystem

    Great for

    European Freelancers

    Paid?

    Free

  • The Freelance Tea Room

    A cosy little part of the internet, where creative freelancers can connect, collaborate, and share their creations!

    Great for

    Creative Production Freelancers

    Paid?

    Free

  • Freelancers Unite! UK

    A 14K+ community group for freelancers, the self-employed and small businesses.

    Great for

    General freelancers

    Paid?

    Free

  • The Society of Freelance Journalists

    A global community for freelance journalists. We offer advice, moral support, learning and job opportunities for journalists whose main source of income is self-employment.

    Great for

    Journalists

    Paid?

    Free

  • Freelancing for Good

    A community for freelancers who are passionate about making a positive impact.

    Great for

    Charity and Purpose led

    Paid?

    Free

  • Nairn Freelancer Network

    Step outside your home-working environment and engage with like-minded professionals in Nairn and the surrounding area.

    Great for

    General Freelancers

    Paid?

    free

  • No.1 Freelance Media Women

    A place for female freelance journalists to help each other, offer support and source case studies or experts for their articles/reports.

    Great for

    Journalists

    Paid?

    Free

  • Outside Perspective

    A community for freelancing strategy people

    Great for

    Strategists

    Paid?

    Free

  • Reddit /r/freelanceruk

    Reddit's subreddit dedicated to freelancing in the UK

    Great for

    General freelancing

    Paid?

    Free

  • Workstyle

    Powered by The Hoxby Foundation, we believe in the transformational force of workstyle to refresh the world of work, changing all lives for the better

    Great for

    Anyone who is exploring different models of working

    Paid?

    Free

Local Communities and Meetups

  • Community
    Location
    Type
  • Cowork Crew Cambridge

    Cowork Crew takes the best bits of coworking and networking and jumbles it together in a once-a-month 1 day event.

    Location

    Cambridge, Cambridgeshire UK

    Type

    meetup

  • Cowork Crew Central London

    Cowork Crew takes the best bits of coworking and networking and jumbles it together in a once-a-month 1 day event.

    Location

    Bishopsgate, London, Central London UK

    Type

    meetup

  • Cowork Crew SE London

    Cowork Crew takes the best bits of coworking and networking and jumbles it together in a once-a-month 1 day event.

    Location

    Peckham, London, Greater London UK

    Type

    meetup

  • Preston Freelancer Monthly Meet-Up

    Society1 coworking space holds a monthly freelancing meetup

    Location

    Preston, Lancashire UK

    Type

    meetup

  • Cowork Crew Northampton

    Cowork Crew takes the best bits of coworking and networking and jumbles it together in a once-a-month 1 day event.

    Location

    Northampton, Northamptonshire UK

    Type

    meetup

Why finding your community matters

Freelancing can be a pretty isolating affair - especially with increased working from home, and remote work. If you're not actively investing in building a support network around you, it can affect your mental health, but also prevent you from finding great work, finding answers and collaborators.

That's why we encourage anyone who is freelancing to find and join a number of freelancing-focused communities - so you can meet and connect with fellow freelancers, to ask questions, make connections, and recognise that you're not doing this alone.

Many communities have fantastic resource libraries, host learning events and social meetups, have jobs boards, and provide spaces to chat. For new freelancers they're an invaluable resource to access; for established freelancers, they're still incredibly useful as you'll always be learning, but there's also the opportunity to give back and support others.

Read our longer guide on why Community Matters, and how to get started engaging with communities

Freelancer Stories

Louise Wilson
Louise Wilson, a strategic marketing & communications consultant, shares her experience of networking and finding support in freelancing communities
Read story

Featured Resources

Support from the ecosystem

9 Freelancers on Finding Community (and why it matters!)
We've raided the archives of the podcast to bring you a collection of 9 interviews with freelancers who've each found community in different ways.
Being Freelance
Building Community as a Freelancer: 7 Tips to Get Started
A broader article on a techniques for building your own community and network of freelancers
The Freelance Creative
The benefits of communities for freelancers: Community, not competition
Ece Kurtaraner on why community matters
LinkedIn
SME and Microbusiness support groups curated by Enterprise Nation
A curated and helpful list of local chapters, organisations, online groups and communities focused on small businesses
Enterprise Nation
Why Finding A Freelance Community Is Essential For Niche Freelancers
We’ll cover the benefits of freelance communities, what makes niche communities different, how you can find those communities, and 5 different niche freelance resources you might be interested in.
Fiverr
Community List
Our curated list of communities supporting freelancers in the UK
Freelancing Support
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Freelancing Support is the impartial and independent guide to independent work. We help freelancers find support, navigate self-employment and work well.