Related Articles
Oana’s Cakes in Gorse Hill brought people together for a warm and welcoming morning of conversation and community on March 11, through its first ‘Chatty Café’ session.
The Chatty Café scheme is ‘the UK’s leading non-profit social enterprise designed to tackle loneliness,’ according to its website.
‘We offer three services designed to reduce loneliness and social isolation, [including]:
‘Face-to-face meetups. We have Chatter & Natter tables set up in hundreds of venues all over the UK.
‘These meetings allow customers to come together and have a chat. Our chatty table volunteers host many of these gatherings.’
The Mayor of Swindon, Cllr Fay Howard, attended the first session hosted at Oana’s. She spent time with guests, and showed support for the initiative.
“The simple idea behind the sessions is to encourage conversation and help combat loneliness, by creating a place where everyone feels welcome to talk and share their stories,” Oana’s Cakes said in a press release.
“The Chatty Café provides a friendly space where people can sit down at the “Chatty Table”, enjoy a drink or a cake, homemade by Oana, and connect with others.
“The Mayor’s visit meant a great deal to everyone attending, and we are very grateful that she took the time to join us. A huge thank you to all those that attended today to make the first Chatty Café here a success.
“We would also like to give a special thank you to Nickie Styles from Carers Community Vale of the White Horse for coming along and helping to run the sessions.
“Her support and dedication play an important role in making these gatherings so welcoming and supportive for everyone who attends.
“We hope the Chatty Café continues to grow as a valued part of the local community, bringing people together.”
The Chatty Café scheme offers two other services nationally. Online Chatty Café sessions take place on Tuesdays from 1pm-1:30pm and are available to anyone over the age of 18 who wants to chat with others. For more information, email oana.berendei@yahoo.com.
They also offer a ‘Telephone friendship service’ for anyone over 18 who is experiencing loneliness, and would like a weekly chat on the phone.
The Chatty Café in Oana’s will be held every Wednesday from 11am to 12:30pm.
