The Chatty Café at BOD Stone is back, offering residents a friendly space to connect and share conversation every Monday afternoon.
A collaboration between BOD Stone and the Salvation Army Charity Shop, the Chatty Café first launched in March 2025 as part of the national Chatty Café Scheme, which aims to tackle loneliness by getting people talking.
After a short summer break, the sessions have relaunched and are once again open to anyone who’d like to enjoy a friendly chat over a cuppa.
Bringing people together
Volunteer hosts Debs, manager of the Salvation Army Charity Shop, and Darren, manager of BOD Stone, are passionate about providing a space where everyone feels welcome.
“The idea of the Chatty Table is to bring together people to chat and talk,” they explained.
“Loneliness can affect anyone, whether you’re single, married, in a relationship, or surrounded by others. You can be in a room full of people and still feel lonely.
This hour gives you that opportunity to chat, to sit and listen, and hopefully not feel alone for a short time.”
The Chatty Table runs every Monday from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm at BOD Stone on the High Street. There’s no need to book, you can pop in for a quick five minutes or stay for longer. The only request is that attendees are over 18 and purchase a drink to support the venue, which kindly provides the space each week.
About the Chatty Café Scheme
The Chatty Café Scheme was founded in 2017 by Alex Hoskyn, who was inspired after noticing how isolating it could feel to be out with her baby yet not have anyone to talk to. She imagined a simple idea, a table where people could sit if they were happy to chat with others.
From that spark, the Chatter & Natter tables were born. Before the pandemic, there were more than 2,000 tables across the UK, including partnerships with Costa Coffee. During lockdown, the scheme adapted by launching virtual cafés and telephone befriending calls to keep conversations going.
Today, the initiative continues to grow, with a small but dedicated team driving its mission to reduce loneliness and social isolation. Studies by Coventry University found that 100% of Chatty Café participants said the scheme made them feel less lonely and more connected to their communities.
Founder Alex Hoskyn was awarded an OBE in 2021 for her services to tackling loneliness, recognising the impact of her work in bringing people together through simple, meaningful interaction.
A warm welcome in Stone
At BOD Stone, a yellow “Chatter & Natter” sign will mark the table, and volunteer hosts will be on hand to greet visitors. Whether you stay for five minutes or the full hour, the hope is that everyone leaves feeling a little brighter than when they arrived.
Debs and Darren added,
“We really want to encourage people to come along. You don’t have to say much, sometimes just listening or sharing a smile is enough.
We’d love to see more people using this service so we can keep it going.”
For more information about the national Chatty Café Scheme, visit www.thechattycafescheme.co.uk.
