PEOPLE IN FOOD
The Chatty Café Scheme founder, Alex Hoskyn, explains how getting people talking is bringing together communities and helping to reduce loneliness
I have always loved doing things on my own,’ says Alex Hoskyn, ‘but there are certain times in your life when you fancy a bit of a chat.’ It was a day like this when Alex, a social worker living in Oldham, had the idea for what would become the Chatty Café Scheme.
Alex was sat in a supermarket café with her four-month-old son, Henry. As a new mum, away from the emails, phone calls and socialising of her regular working day, she was already struck by how few interactions she might have in a 24-hour stretch – even if she was out the house. Feeling a bit fed up, she noticed an elderly lady by herself, also looking downbeat. On another table was a young man with his carer, both visibly out of conversation. ‘We probably could have made each other’s day better if we’d all sat together,’ says Alex. ‘But you don’t want to approach people because there’s that stigma and caution.’
It gave Alex a thought: what if there was a table for people happy to talk with other customers? In time, this would become the ‘chatter and natter’ table. First trialled by Alex in an Oldham café in 2017, the Chatty Café Scheme has grown to almost 600 venues taking part across the UK every week. While the setting can differ – pubs and libraries now take part – the premise is the same: these are simple spaces, with a day and time designated for adults to meet and talk. Some might chat for the time it takes to finish their latte, while others will stay longer, but, importantly, it’s open to everyone. ‘It’s not pitched as just for elderly people, or just mums and babies. It’s about mixing people up,’ says Alex.
A HELPING HAND
A key part of the scheme is its volunteers, Alex explains. There are those who help run the tables in the cafés, not only getting the conversation rolling on the day but helping to establish their spot within their community. There are also volunteers for the scheme’s telephone friendship service. This started when the pandemic put a halt to in-person meets. Alex and her sisters Jenny and Abi, who both manage the Chatty Café Scheme, would take turns making weekly phone calls to anyone who might benefit. The idea stuck – there are now almost 200 telephone volunteers phoning 225 people a week, as well as two weekly virtual Chatty Cafés. ‘What’s interesting with the virtual ones is we get a lot of men,’ says Alex. ‘Which is great because men are notoriously hard to reach.’
