Column: A good mix of people coming together increases chances of new friendships forming

The more the merrier, we say at Derbyshire Peak Oddfellows. Having a good mix of people come together for our activities is great for lively conversation and also increases the chances of new friendships to form.

There really is no shame in admitting you’d like more company or friends in your life. And acknowledging the need for greater connection is the first step to making a change for the better.

So if there’s anyone looking to expand their social circle in and around Chesterfield and the wider Derbyshire area, for whatever the reason, do give one of our social events a try.

We recently asked our members about their biggest fears about giving a new group a try in the first place. Some of the concerns they shared were walking into a room on your own, worries about fitting in and having the confidence to leave the house in the first place.

If you’re feeling any of these, please don’t let them get in the way of trying out our friendship group.

Every meet-up is hosted by either myself or one of our team, so there’s always someone who’ll look out for you. And you’re more than welcome to ring ahead of the event for us to talk you through what to expect.

We’ve got lots of interesting things going on at the moment. On March 19, we’ve got Neil Anderson from ‘Dirty Stop Outs Guides to Chesterfield’ visiting us for a nostalgic talk about the Aquarius nightclub and Working Men’s Clubs.

We’re also hosting a car treasure hunt for the first time, where people work in teams to solve clues and find items before meeting for a pub lunch. We’re also planning day trips to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park and to York, plus all of our usual walks and meals and coffee mornings.

So it’s not just me saying it: one of our members, Sandra Johnson, also wanted to share a message of encouragement to anyone interested in coming along for a taster.

She said: “Just go along and say ‘hello’ and introduce yourself to everyone you happen to meet – even if it’s only whilst you are waiting for a cup of tea. I am so glad that I decided to go. It has helped me to widen my social network, make new friends and go along to social events instead of sitting at home.”

If anyone would like one of our free local events diaries, do drop me a line. You can contact me on 01246 273076 or at [email protected].

You can also find all our events listed at www.oddfellows.co.uk/events.

We hope to meet you very soon.