Share the friendship and be rewarded

Published: 25 Nov 2025

There’s probably someone you know who would really enjoy being part of the Oddfellows. But how do you bring it up? What’s the best way to say, “why not give it a try – it could be great for you?” without sounding pushy or condescending?

No pressure

Maybe it’s a friend who loves a good chat, a family member who’d feel better about having some backup with their welfare, or a neighbour looking for a bit more connection in their week.

We put this very question to Tunbridge Wells member Maria Lemont, who knows a thing or two about referring friends to her local Branch – she’s even won an award for it.

Maria, pictured, said: “I never ‘sell’ the Oddfellows – I just tell them all about it – that it’s very friendly, very sociable, well run and there’s always something to go to. The benefits are also fantastic.

“As you get older it gets harder to get out at night. I still want to have my friends around me, so I share what’s going on and then we can all have something to go to together and stay active, like dances, live music and quizzes.

“The Oddfellows gives you a structured social life. It’s good for people. It’s very caring in the community. Everyone wins.

“I’ve recruited neighbours, my hairdresser, friends and there are people joining from my church and U3a groups.

“I also make sure they know there’s no pressure to join, just that they can come and give it a try. So far they have liked it. It’s worked out well. It’s all about making people feel welcome,” she added.

Saying thank you

To thank members like Maria for helping to grow our community, the Oddfellows has a Refer a Friend scheme – one of the most popular ways new members discover what we’re all about.

There are rewards for each referral who joins, starting with a £5 Love2shop gift card on the first successful recruit. The more people you introduce, the more rewards you earn.*

Head of Membership, Holly Walsh, explains: “Friends, family, people you meet out and about – it doesn’t matter who you refer, just that you think they’d genuinely benefit from what’s on offer.

“It’s about making people feel welcome to give us a try and giving them the right information to make an informed choice. There’s no pressure, just an open invitation. Sometimes people don’t join straight away, and that’s okay – it’s about letting them know we’re here for them whenever they’re ready.”

How to make a referral

To make sure you receive your reward through the Refer a Friend scheme, our Membership team needs to know about your connection – just make sure that they're happy to have their details shared with us first.

There are several ways to refer:

• Let us know in advance: Contact the Membership team by phone or email to share their details. They’ll then send them a free local information pack.
• Online form: Fill out the Refer a Friend form in the Members Area of our website.
• During sign-up: Ask them to include your membership number on their application form.

Full details of the Refer a Friend scheme, including offer terms and conditions, can be found on the Offers page of the Oddfellows website.

Three reward levels

There are three reward levels – Bronze, Silver and Gold.

• Bronze – on your 1st referral. Just one referral and you’ll receive a £5 Love2shop gift card.
• Silver – on your 5th referral. When you’ve referred five friends in total, you’ll get a £25 Love2shop gift card. Or, if you’d prefer, you can donate the value to a charity of your choice.
• Gold – on your 20th referral. When you hit 20 referrals in total, you can look forward to receiving a £50 Love2shop gift card. Or, if you’d prefer, you can donate the value to a charity of your choice.

Maria’s final tip

A final bit of advice from Maria is to not overthink it. She said: “If the Oddfellows has brought you joy, friendship or support when you needed it, just share that story. People can tell when it’s genuine – and that’s what encourages them to get involved.”

*Visit the Refer a Friend offers page to read the offer’s terms and conditions.