A scheme to get people chatting and to reduce loneliness is launching in Frome this month.
The Chatty Cafe Scheme is a leading non-profit organisation tackling loneliness. It will be launching at Cordero Lounge, in the Westway Precinct, on Wednesday 9th October, from 9.30am to 11.30am and is due to be held every Wednesday.
“Just look out for the ‘Chatter & Natter table,’” says Chatty Table host Jonathan Smith.
“The Chatty Café is a great way of encouraging people to talk to others. The scheme is the brainchild of Alexandra Hoskyn, who founded it after a miserable day at a supermarket café with her infant son, where she noticed that no one was talking to each other. She found that by simply putting ‘Chatter & Natter’ signs on tables in cafes, it created a space for people to talk.
“A Chatter & Natter table brings people together and everyone is invited!
“Anyone can join; if you are on your own, in a couple, with a friend, if you are a carer, why not sit there with who you care for, mums and babies, dads and babies, grandparents and babies, young people, older people and anyone in between. It’s a great way to meet new people in your community.
“When you are deciding where to sit, look for the Chatter & Natter table and sit there. Stay for five minutes while you have your drink or longer. It is not about making lifelong friends, just having good old fashioned human interaction.
“The Chatty Cafe Scheme is reducing loneliness and social isolation by getting people chatting. Coventry University has published their May 2022 initial report and the key findings are that 100% of Chatter & Natter table users said it made them feel less lonely and socially isolated, plus 97% of venues feel that the Chatter & Natter tables are encouraging community spirit.”
For more information, visit the Chatty Cafe website https://thechattycafescheme.co.uk/