LOCAL friendship group Coventry Godiva Oddfellows is urging residents not to cut back on socialising amid the cost-of-living crisis by attending several of their taster sessions.
Group members said they have become concerned about the impact reduced social contact could have on people’s mental health and are making extra efforts to ensure residents have affordable ways to meet up.
The Godiva Oddfellows will be holding several affordable taster events to celebrate national friendship month throughout September, including a free coffee morning on September 16 at Astley Book Farm & Coffee Shop.
The coffee morning will be starting at 11am with the first drink free.
Then on September 24 there will be a free Pie n’Mash evening from 7pm at Oddfellows House on Queen Victoria Road, although places are limited.
The not-for-profit group currently has over 300 local members with many older or retired.
A study by Oddfellows in August showed that those aged 60 and over in the UK have four close friends on average, with three per cent saying they don’t have any.
Oddfellows Branch Secretary, Christine Luckett said: “When you’re stretched financially, you’ve no choice but to look at how you can better budget or where to spend less.
“We want to remind people that socialising doesn’t need to be expensive. It’s not where you get together that matters, but that you’re just getting together.
“We saw the effect spending less time in the company of others had on our members during the pandemic and we need to make sure that as we face another difficult time we stay in touch and support each other.”
Call 024 7663 2900 or email [email protected] if you would like to attend an Oddfellows Friendship Month taster event.
