Friendly locals to help you settle
A couple who relocated to a new area in their 80s have praised a readymade friendship group, the Oddfellows, for helping them settle in.
Penny and John Burch decided to relocate from the South Coast to Chesterfield in Derbyshire to be near their son. Having moved areas many times in the past, they knew the secret to getting to know a new town wasn’t through guide books, but by making an effort with the friendly locals. Penny, who has been married to John for 32 years, explained: “One of the first things we did when we moved was to join the Oddfellows, which I think was the best thing we could do. Everyone was very friendly. “It’s one of the few groups you join specifically to make friends, not just because you share a hobby,” she added. “The Oddfellows is all about friendship, so there’s no worrying about the fact you won’t make friends!” The Oddfellows has offered friendship and support to its members for more than two centuries, and its local branches organise regular social events for its members to enjoy, such as coffee mornings, talks and quizzes. Its friendship groups also provide opportunities for you to get to know your new neighbourhood, from enjoying day trips, lunches out and walks in the local area to volunteering alongside other members. Oddfellows members also benefit from wellbeing support and advice with dedicated helplines for members and a travel club. John and Penny have lived in dozens of homes thanks to their post-retirement careers as pet sitters. But John, a retired engineer and former aircraft engineer, said putting down new roots required a little more effort. He said: “My advice is, once you make the decision to move, commit to it whole-heartedly. It’s not just about buying a house and making it look nice, you have to make an effort to integrate into the community. “Moving to a new place can be daunting and you might think that people our age already have all the friends they need – but wherever we’ve been, we’ve always found that it isn’t the case.” The Oddfellows is one of the UK’s largest friendly societies, with 42,250 members across its 113 branches. It’s a non-profit mutual (membership from £25 a year) run by members, for members, to improve the quality of people’s lives. To learnmoreabout the Oddfellows andtoreceive afree information pack andlocal events diary,call0800028 1810 or email enquiries@oddfellows.co.uk. Furtheradvice at www.oddfellows.co.uk/newstart *Terms andconditionsapply to allmemberbenefitsand services. Fordetails, visitwww.oddfellows. co.uk/terms-conditions, or call 0800 0281810.