Local council and Age UK partner with Darley Street Market to provide weekly sessions at new ‘Chatter & Natter’ table
Residents in Bradford will soon be able to meet and chat to new people thanks to a simple, new initiative launching at Darley Street Market from Tuesday, January 27.
Photo of Darley Street Market care of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Each week, from 11am to noon, the comfy sofa area on the top floor of Darley Street Kitchen will be designated as a Chatter & Natter table, where customers can sit if they’re happy to chat to other people.
A volunteer from Age UK will be on hand each week to welcome anyone interested in joining the conversation.
The initiative being launched in Bradford is the latest extension of the national Chatty Cafe scheme, a leading non-profit social enterprise aimed at tackling loneliness and fostering meaningful connections.
This week, the BBC reported on the impact of the Chatty Cafe scheme, quoting 82 year-old Anne Barlow whose husband died in 2023. She now attends the Chatty Cafe at the Just Ice cafe in Poynton, Cheshire.
‘When your situation changes in life you realise the value of company,’ Anne told the BBC. ‘You need other people and much more social interaction than you can possibly have on your own with your cat.’
The scheme was established in 2016 by Alex Hoskyn while on maternity leave, and there are now more than 700 Chatter & Natter tables set up at venues across the country, with 600 volunteers to help chats run smoothly. The scheme also offers online sessions and a telephone friendship service. To find out more and get involved, see the Chatty Cafe scheme website.
Mark Rounding, CEO of Age UK Bradford District, says: ‘Reducing isolation and loneliness is a key aim of Age UK Bradford District, so the idea of organising these regular Chatty Cafe sessions is a positive step. As we make our way through the colder months, where people are often more isolated, offering the opportunity to chat in a welcoming atmosphere could make a big difference to someone’s day.’
Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport at Bradford Council, adds: ‘It’s great that we can offer a designated space within our Darley Street Market where people are actively encouraged to share a table and kickstart conversations, getting people chatting and reduce loneliness along the way.’
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