Vale of York Oddfellows plans nine events across the city

Vale of York Oddfellows has organised a Friendship Month for September, with nine special events taking place across the city.

The group seeks to help plug friendship gaps and experience the benefits of joining a community setting.

Psychologist Dr Taylor spoke of how vital friendships are to overall wellbeing (Image: Oddfellows)

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Psychologist and friend of the Oddfellows Dr Denise Taylor said: “Friendships are vital to our social wellbeing and can have a direct effect on our physical and mental wellbeing.

“As we journey through life, we can go through many stages of transition – retirement, relocation, losing loved ones, which mean that some friendships may slip away.

“Our opportunities to maintain a supportive social circle often reduces and the friendships we do have can take more work.”

Oddfellows aims to provide opportunities for older adults make local friendships (Image: Oddfellows)

The month starts with a free ‘BIG Cuppa and Chat’ on September 1 at 10am at various venues across the city simultaneously, including the Community Café at Marjorie Waite Court in Clifton, the Community Centre at Garth Court in Huntington and St Edward the Confessor Church in Dringhouses.

More information about Friendship Month and Oddfellows can be found here.