Keep investing in friendship

Updated: 28 Jan 2025

This Friendship Month, we’re calling on the nation to keep socialising, amid concerns about the impact any reduced social contact could have on people’s mental health and wellbeing.

Latest insight

New research commissioned by the Oddfellows has revealed that in light of the rising costs of living, one in 10 (12%) say they’re concerned about being able to afford to socialise with friends, and sadly one in 10 (10%) admit they have friends that can’t afford to meet up at the moment.

Reassuringly, the vast majority of those questioned (87%) value the importance of friendship saying it’s important to invest time in maintaining them. Most (77%) say that good friends are among the most important people in their life and 87% agree that having friends improves the quality of their life.

The August 2022 survey of 1,000 over-60s in the UK also shared that while half (50%) agree that socialising isn’t about the money, rising costs have impacted as many as one in six (16%), who say they are now doing more free or inexpensive activities such as taking walks or having friends around for a home-cooked meal. 14% have been forced to cut back on how much money they spend socialising.

One in 20 (6%) mention they can no longer afford to socialise with their friends. The same proportion worry about what impact having a tighter budget will have on their ability to maintain friendships, and that rising costs are making them feel more lonely (6%).

Somebody to lean on

In difficult times, it’s vital to nurture friendships and have each other’s backs. However, this can prove tough for some. Over two-fifths (43%) admit that it’s harder to make friends now compared to when they were younger, while 3% say they don’t have any. However, (43%) mentioned they’re making more of an effort to stay in contact with friends than ever before.

The research also revealed how not everyone is comfortable opening up to their friends. While almost two-thirds (65%) say they’re happy to talk to friends about how they’re feeling, and almost half (46%) will chat about any of their problems, only a quarter (25%) would dare discuss their financial problems. Despite this, two in three (68%) believe they can rely on their friends in times of need, with a further 65% agreeing that friends help them to get through difficult times.

Friends as protectors

Dr Jennifer Wild, an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Oxford University and friend of the Oddfellows, describes friends as ‘precious protectors’, and something you can never put a price on.

She said: “Friendship is a wonderful thing. Spending time with people who share our values and beliefs can be very motivating, and laughter with friends is proven to improve our mood.

“But friendship goes much deeper than that. The support that good friends provides can also be protective. Those with close companions they can lean on in tough times are less likely to suffer from depression. Friends offer perspectives more compassionate than our own, which helps to interrupt self-critical thinking and improve our problem-solving skill set.”

Dr Jennifer Wild

No need for expensive backdrops

Oddfellows CEO Jane Nelson says its UK branches are making extra efforts to ensure people continue to have access to affordable social events and opportunities to socialise locally.

“As a society with many members who are older or retired, we’re always concerned about the potential impact any reduced social contact could have on people’s mental health and wellbeing, a lesson learnt from the pandemic,” explained Jane.

"When you’re stretched financially, you’ve no choice but to look at how you can better budget or where to spend less.

“But 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,” added Jane.

Give a friendship group a go

Since 2010, the Oddfellows has been celebrating Friendship Month (1-30 September). The national awareness campaign aims to highlight the importance of friendship and how friends help us to live well.

“Nobody should be without company if they want it. If you’re finding it difficult to socialise in later life, or you’d like to build or extend your friendship circle, groups such as ours are a great way to meet like-minded people locally. We’d love to see you at a taster event,” added Jane.

Oddfellows branches up and down the country will be hosting hundreds of local taster events and online open days designed to make newcomers feel especially welcome and show them the benefits of joining a friendship group.

You can find your nearest by using our Branch Finder, or use our Events Finder to search for social events and activities happening near to where you live or online.

Contact us to request your free information pack and local events diary.

Read more advice on making friends and building social confidence in our friendship guides section.

About Dr Jennifer Wild

Dr Jennifer Wild is a consultant clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Oxford. Her book, Be Extraordinary: 7 Key Skills to Transform your Life from Ordinary to Extraordinary gives inspiring real-life examples of how ordinary people have used these skills to come through astonishing adversity. . For more information go to https://www.beextraordinarybook.com/.

DISCLAIMER: Links to third-party sites do not constitute an endorsement by the Oddfellows and use of the advertised products and services is entirely at your risk. The Oddfellows does not accept any liability or responsibility for any third party material on other websites.

Notes to Editor:

• Findings are a result of research carried out by strategic insight agency Opinium on behalf of the Oddfellows. 1,000 UK adults aged 60+ were surveyed between 3-5 August 2022.
• Launched in 2010, Friendship Month (www.friendshipmonth.com) is the Oddfellows’ national awareness month to promote the benefits of friendship.