COORDINATORS of a new Chatty Café in Bradford on Avon have been pleased by the response to their first session.

The Mill Café in Lamb Yard has joined the nationwide Chatty Café scheme in a bid to help people who are isolated to feel less lonely.

The café hosted a local Chatty Café on Monday, January 29 from 10am to 12 noon and seven people turned up for the first session.

Wiltshire Times: Emma Peacock and Mark Duckett from the Mill Café with Chatty Café coordinator Sasko Spirovski and colleague Jessica Hall. Photo: Trevor Porter 70544-2Emma Peacock and Mark Duckett from the Mill Café with Chatty Café coordinator Sasko Spirovski and colleague Jessica Hall. Photo: Trevor Porter 70544-2 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Jessica Hall, the Care Co-ordinator Administration for Bradford on Avon Wellbeing Team Melksham & Bradford on Avon Primary Care Network, said: “We were really pleased with the response.

“It went really well and we had about seven patients turn up, including a couple of men.

“For the initial session that was really good and the café owners Emma Peacock and Mark Duckett were really pleased as well.”

Bradford on Avon’s mayor, Cllr Katie Vigar, also attended the inaugural session and stayed to chat to those who came along. Afterwards, she said: "It was a really lovely event.

"I thought it was a great initiative to bring people together and provide that opportunity for people from any generation to drop in and have a coffee and meet new people."

Emma Peacock, who runs the Mill Cafe with Mark Duckett, said: "We were really pleased with the turn-out that came for the first day.

"it was great to see people getting together and face-to-face contact. We were really happy with it." 

The aim of the Chatty Café is to encourage people to talk to others, help to lift your mood, and support you feel less lonely or isolated.

Jessica added: “We would encourage people to come and enjoy a coffee and chat, whether it be five minutes or an hour. There is no agenda or topics to these sessions.

“Members of the Bradford on Avon Health and Wellbeing Team from the Health Centre are supporting the cafe and will be available for you to talk to.”

The Chatty Café Scheme started in 2017 to encourage conversations between people in spaces such as cafés.

This involves having a sign on designated tables, as ‘Chatter & Natter’ tables, for customers to sit at if they are willing to have conversations with other people.

To find out more about this scheme, please visit their website Chatty Cafe Scheme UK – Chatty Cafe Scheme UK (thechattycafescheme.co.uk)