Town’s Talking Café marks a decade of support and friendship

FROME’s Talking Café has reached its 10th anniversary and the team have been celebrating the place that enables people to meet others, make friends and chat to a Health Connector from Frome Medical Practice about activities, groups and services that are available in the local community.

The café takes place every Monday at the Cheese and Grain and Thursdays at Coffee #1 in the Westway Centre. One attendee, who has been a regular visitor to the Talking Café for the last decade, said, “It has been something regular in my life, a place where I can get support and make friends but also a place where I can support others by just being there and being a friendly face for new people who attend.”

Cheese and Grain director Steve Macarthur said, “We are delighted to be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Talking Café in Frome. Ten years ago, the Frome Health Connections Team approached us about hosting a weekly informal drop in at our café, an opportunity for people to come and sit, make new friends and, if needed, speak informally to a Health Connector. It was instantly a great success and the café was later rolled out to twelve other locations across Mendip. The opportunity for people to connect to services and make new friends created opportunities for mutual support, kindness and caring.

“We’ve benefitted as a venue as well, as the Talking Café had a positive impact on other activities that take place here across the year, often building around what the café was doing. We ended up calling the start of the week ‘Healthy Mondays’, with exercise classes and weight loss support and the Cheese and Grain became a venue of choice for other groups to meet up for trips out, including cyclists and walkers.

“Talking Cafés not only help those who attend, they also have a positive impact on the hosts. In the case of the Cheese and Grain, the café has bolstered our role as a community centre for the town, brought new customers while helping the venue achieve its charitable aim of enhancing life chances.”

A health connector in the Frome Medical Practice Health Connections Team, Rose, who is also a regular attendee of the Talking Café, said, “The Talking Café is a great part of our service. Some people just need a simple signpost to support and the Talking Café is there for just that. However, it is also a place where I have seen friendships flourish. Anyone is welcome to come along and we love seeing new faces, as well as our regular attendees.”

The Frome Talking Cafés take place on Mondays from 10am to 11.30am at the Cheese and Grain and on Thursdays from 1pm to 2.30pm at Coffee #1 in the Westway Centre. Find out more about Talking Cafés in Frome and across Mendip, on the Health Connections Mendip website: https:// healthconnectionsmendip.org/talking-cafes-wells-shepton-frome