Friendship in retirement
FRIENDSHIP SAFETY NET: Pauline, second from right, feels supported in retirement with the help of her good friends at the Oddfellows.
Choosing what to do with your days in retirement sounds a great problem to have, but for many it can be quite the opposite.
For Pauline Jones, 76, from Birmingham, when she retired from her busy hospital job, she missed the structure and the natural flow of friendly people around her. She’d often worked long hours and hadn’t built up a strong circle of friends outside of work.
“I had a very fulfilling job working as a PA to a consultant
in a children’s hospital,” says Pauline. “But when the time came to retire, I felt completely lost. That’s where the Oddfellows came in. I went along to my local group and it introduced me to a brilliant group of new friends that I could spend time with.”
Pauline joined the Birmingham Branch of the Oddfellows in 2019 after giving one of its local meet-ups a try. She found the group full of welcoming people that she could try a variety of new things with.
She explains: “After that first event, I knew I would be coming back. I didn’t even question it. Walking into a room full of people you don’t know can be intimidating, but it’s such a lovely group of people and I didn’t feel nervous in the slightest. Since then, the group has been my safety net and they’ve filled a huge hole in my life. My Oddfellows friends are my comfort blanket.
“During the lockdowns, I had so many calls from different members checking in on me. I never once felt lonely or forgotten, although nothing is better than seeing my friends in person,” adds Pauline.
For more than two centuries, the Oddfellows has offered friendship and support and is one of the UK’s largest friendly societies, with 41,500 members across its 115 branches. It’s a non-profit mutual (membership from £25 per year) run by members, for members, to improve the quality of people’s lives.
Oddfellows branches run regular online activities and face-to-face events for their members to keep active and in touch with each other. There are group holidays in addition to supportive benefits which include care and welfare advice, special member discounts* and access to its historical archives.
Keen to encouraging other retirees to give their local group a try, Pauline adds: “When they say everyone is welcome at the Oddfellows, they truly mean it. If you don’t know anyone when you arrive, you’ll certainly leave with a handful of new friends!”
INFORMATION: To learn more about the Oddfellows and to receive a free information pack and local events diary, call 0800 028 1810 or email enquiries@oddfellows.co.uk. www.oddfellows.co.uk/retirement
*Terms and conditions apply to all member benefits and services. For details, visit www.oddfellows.co.uk/terms-conditions or call 0800 028 1810.