42% find friendships harder to maintain in winter, as Suffolk residents urged to prepare
62% reported having lost touch with a good friend because they no longer saw each other regularly.
New research suggests friendships can become harder to maintain during the colder months, as a Suffolk organiser says simply taking the first step into a social group can be daunting.
People across Suffolk are being encouraged to maintain their friendships and social connections as the colder and darker months approach.
New research commissioned by the friendly society the Oddfellows, found 42% of those surveyed said friendships were harder to maintain during winter.
The organisation says almost two-thirds- 62%- reported having lost touch with a good friend because they no longer saw each other regularly.
The survey, carried out by Opinium, questioned 2,000 UK adults aged 50 and over between 7 and 10 July 2026.
It comes ahead of Friendship Month in September, with the Oddfellows encouraging people to prioritise social contact before winter.
"The curtains get closed and people don't venture out"
Jackie Nunn, a development and social events organiser for the Oddfellows in Bury St Edmunds, told Greatest Hits Radio she has seen how people's behaviour can change as the days become darker.
She said: "The curtains get closed and people don't venture out."
Jackie said people may be more inclined to go for a walk and encounter others when the sun is shining, whereas on darker days they can be less willing to leave home.
She said the group therefore tries to give people a reason to get out and meet others.
The Oddfellows has groups in Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket and Ipswich, while Jackie also works with groups in Sudbury and Colchester.
Jackie said events are deliberately held during the daytime as winter approaches because of difficulties some people face using local bus services in the evenings.
She said organisers also consider bus timetables when arranging activities to make them easier for people to attend.
Cost is the biggest barrier to social activities
According to the Oddfellows research, cost was the most commonly cited barrier to attending organised social activities, reported by 40% of respondents.
Weather was cited by 22%, while 17% said a lack of time and 15% said there were not enough interesting events.
More than a third - 36% - said regular contact was essential to maintaining friendships, rising to 42% among people aged 55 and over.
The research also found one in five respondents currently belonged to an organised social group, while 23% said they would like to join one.
The Oddfellows say the findings suggest practical obstacles can prevent people from maintaining social contact, rather than people simply lacking the desire to see others.
"It's very hard to make those new friendships"
Jackie said maintaining social connections can become particularly important as people grow older and existing friendship groups change.
"It's who we are. We're human beings. We should interact with each other," she said.
"As you get older, it's very hard to make those new friendships, to make those new links."
She said a brief greeting with someone was different from having a fuller conversation, and that the group's programme of activities was intended to give people something to put in their diaries and look forward to.
Jackie said entering a new social setting could itself be intimidating.
"To say hello the first time is quite difficult. To walk in somewhere new is quite difficult," she said.
To try to overcome that, she said prospective attendees can speak to her beforehand or visit the venue before an event, meaning their first experience is not walking alone into a room full of strangers.
Bereaved members forming friendships beyond the group
Jackie said she had seen people's confidence grow after attending events in Suffolk.
She described how several people who had recently been bereaved had joined the group and initially found taking the first step particularly difficult.
However, she said other members had approached them and, over time, some had developed friendships which continued outside Oddfellows events.
"It is the friendships they've made and the confidence that's given them back," she said.
"That's the best part."
Jackie said that sense of companionship can be particularly important for some older men following retirement or bereavement.
She said some male members tell her it is the "banter" and conversation they miss, and she tries to encourage people who are apprehensive to initially come in for a cup of tea and see what the group is like.
She added that seemingly small interactions can develop into friendships — including people who initially sit beside each other at an event later walking to the bus stop together and getting to know one another over subsequent meetings.
Encouraging people to take the first step
The Oddfellows is using Friendship Month, which runs throughout September, to encourage people to reconnect with existing friends or seek new social opportunities.
The organisation says it has around 39,000 members across 91 branches nationwide.
Jackie said people interested in the organisation can attend taster sessions before deciding whether it is right for them, with activities offered locally including film clubs, talks and social events.
She said organisers try to ensure somebody is available to welcome new arrivals and introduce them to other people.
"There's always someone to say hello, greet you," she said.
People can find their nearest Oddfellows events by searching their location on the organisation's website.