The Chatty Café Scheme

Reducing social isolation one cup of tea at a time

One wet and windy day in 2018, Alexandra Hoskyn was sitting in a café with her baby, feeling a bit fed-up. She glanced around and saw an elderly woman looking just as she felt, and a young man and his support worker who had run out of conversation. “I thought about the impact we could’ve had on each other if we had just sat together. It was then that the Chatter and Natter table began in my head,” she says. Now, over 900 cafés are participating in the scheme. Alexandra explains, “It creates a space for people to genuinely talk. We’re not trying to build friendships, just simple interactions to combat loneliness that

You don’t have to be lonely to enjoy the simplicity

of chatting

may have a big impact on someone’s day.” Giving the scheme a positive focus, however, is vital for its success. “We decided to avoid using the word ‘loneliness’ in the venue’s publicity. Instead, it focuses on bringing people from all walks of life together.” The Natter tables have since gone online, too: “We run a telephone friendship service and virtual Chatty Cafés.” Alexandra is always looking for more venues to enroll in the scheme, and is planning a campaign in December to encourage new volunteers. As Alexandra says: “You don’t have to be lonely to enjoy the simplicity of chatting.”