The Next Chapter Coffee Bar in Kells has become the first café in West Cumbria to join the Chatty Café Scheme, a nationwide initiative to reduce loneliness.
The Chatty Café scheme aims to reduce social isolation by encouraging people to start conversations.
Starting 27 June 2025, The Next Chapter Coffee Bar will host a Chatty Table every Friday from 10am – 12 noon, offering a welcoming space for people to connect.
Look out for the table with a yellow triangular sign, and volunteers wearing a yellow lanyard.
Friendly staff from Hope Haven will be there to greet people, offer a listening ear, and spark conversations between those sat at the table.
Hope Haven is a unique new community wellbeing project. It brings together health, social care and community services to offer people in Whitehaven and Copeland support without needing to be ‘referred’ or go on a waiting list.
Several local organisations are working closely together to provide support at Hope Haven, including Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Cumbria Health, Everyturn Mental Health, Home Group, iCan Wellbeing Group CIO, The Well Communities CIC, and Whitehaven Community Trust.
Their staff at the Chatty Table can offer some encouragement or advice on the spot. They can also arrange for someone to get more support if they want it. This could be one-to-one help from nurses or GPs at Cumbria Health, support workers at mental health charity Everyturn, housing and money advice from Home Group, or help from several other partner organisations.
Charles, one of the Hope Haven staff who will be hosting the Chatty Table (pictured on the left above), said: “I’m really looking forward to meeting people and seeing what conversations we have.
“Feeling lonely and isolated can have a huge effect on our mood and mental wellbeing. But simply having a chat and connecting with each other can really turn someone’s day around. The Chatty Table will help people make those connections and hopefully feel a bit less alone.
“We’ve chosen Kells for our first Chatty Table because we know that a lot of people in the area are struggling.
“We’re also hoping to reach more people who need our help, who don’t know where else to turn, who might not otherwise hear about us. It’s about bringing people together – everyone is invited!”
The Chatty Table is open to all, whether you’re alone, in a couple, with a friend, a carer, or a parent with a baby.
The Chatty Café scheme is the brainchild of Alexandra Hoskyn, who founded it after a miserable day at a supermarket café with her infant son, where she noticed that no one was talking to each other.
Louise Murphy, who created and runs The Next Chapter Coffee Bar, said: “I know what it’s like to feel isolated and unsure where to turn. That’s why I’m so proud to be part of the Chatty Café Scheme. It means a lot to me to create a space where people feel welcome, seen and heard. I’ve come through difficult times myself, and I want to give back by helping others feel a little less alone.”
If you’re interested in setting up your own local Chatty Café table, visit thechattycafescheme.co.uk to find out more.
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