The scheme was created on a wet and windy day when I was in a supermarket café with my four month old son. He wasn’t great company and I was feeling fed up.
I looked round the café and saw an elderly lady who looked just as down as me and on another table sat a young guy with additional needs and his support worker both looking like they had run out of conversation!
I started to think about the positive impact we could have had on each other if we had sat together. I know from experience that when you are feeling lonely, a short conversation with another human can really brighten your day and I realised that you can be out of the house all day yet have no interaction with another person.
It was right there and then that the ‘Chatter & Natter’ table began (in my head and dreams to start!) but now it’s a reality. There are now over 900 cafes!
Our official partner in the UK is Costa Coffee and Chatter & Natter tables are in around 440 of their stores throughout the UK.
I started to think about the positive impact we could have had on each other if we had sat together.
A Chatter & Natter table creates a space for people to talk, whether it’s for five minutes while you enjoy a brew or an hour of good conversation. Our goal is not only to foster friendships but to encourage simple interactions that can help combat loneliness and potentially brighten someone’s day. Although the initiative aims to reduce feelings of isolation and promote conversation, we intentionally avoid using the word “loneliness” in our publicity materials displayed in cafes. Instead, our messaging is positive and focuses on bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together. We want to mix everyone up!
In January 2019 we won the Innovate in Ageing competition, a national competition designed to discover innovative solutions to an ageing population. The judges liked our scheme because it is simple and effective! In March 2020, we were runners-up in the Government’s Nesta Tech to Connect Challenge, which sought solutions to tackle social isolation through technology. Interestingly, a recent survey revealed that over 75% of people would like to have more in-person conversations. So, let’s get talking
Me time Cafe is opening October 1st in Strand, the first Chatty Cafe in South Africa.
You may also like the following events from Me time Cafe:
Also check out other
Contests in Strand.
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