The social and mental impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns is now familiar with Britons everywhere.

Perhaps not so familiar, however, are ways to shake the added stresses and strains that we have all lived with during coronavirus.

Yet with the NHS vaccination programme helping us get back together and protect millions of people from the virus, one charitable group in Croydon are seeking ways to combat social isolation by helping forge new friendships and maintain existing ones too.

The Croydon chapter of the Oddfellows society, founded in 1810 as a charitable society before the welfare state existed, recently announced a "packed calender" of events during September (dubbed 'Friendship Month') in the hopes of boosting friendly connections between people such as elderly residents who have disproportionately been impacted by Covid-19.

"The Oddfellows is all about making friends and helping people. We’ve spent much of the past 18 months ensuring our members were supported emotionally and physically, but it’s now the time to help even more people to make new friends, reconnect with old ones, and build up any social confidence that may have been lost during these really difficult times," Dawn Taylor, district secretary for the Oddfellows, said.

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"Since the end of the last lockdown we’ve started to meet up regularly again, such as our recent afternoon tea. It’s been great to finally see people in person, but we’ve made a real effort during the pandemic to stay in touch which each other online, and continue to do so," she added.

The first event, designed to help bring all comers new and old in a comfortable and relaxed environment, is an afternoon tea at St Mark’s Church Hall, South Norwood, on Friday, September 10.

"Making friends later in life and enjoying a brew in great company is something our group can definitely help people with," Dawn said.

Norma, an Oddfellows member and Norwood resident, agreed: "I didn’t know what to expect when I first joined the Oddfellows, but it has been an amazing journey. I’ve met so many good friends, attended lots of different events and loved every minute of it."

According to a recent survey by pollsters Opinium, more than half of people aged over 60 said the pandemic has made them value friendships more than ever, with almost a half (44 per cent) saying they find it harder to make new friends now compared to when they were younger.

Click here for more information on Oddfellows events in the wider Croydon area.