Overcoming loneliness one cuppa at a time

A welcoming group which meets weekly in Bideford Library to combat loneliness and isolation is celebrating its first year of success.

The Chatty Café has been so popular that it now has up to 40 people flocking to enjoy a bowl of soup and welcoming company each week.

The project was started in April 2024 with money from the Government’s £30 million Know Your Neighbourhood fund and meets Thursdays between 12 and 1.30pm. The free Café provides a safe space for people who may be feeling lonely or be experiencing other problems to enjoy a simple lunch, but most importantly to meet other people.

According to the Campaign to End Loneliness in 2022, 49.63% of adults (25.99 million people) in the UK reported feeling lonely occasionally, sometimes, often or always, a rise of 6% since 2020.

Will credits the Chatty Café with easing his loneliness and having a major impact on his wellbeing. He retired to Bideford after working overseas for many years. His few relatives had all died. “The stress and loneliness of Covid left deep scars on many single people. Adding the Chatty Café and library to my weekly routine has had a positive effect, and I have recommended it to others. They even provided gluten-free soup for me. I felt quite moved by that kindness. Individually these caring gestures are helpful, but collectively they have had a powerful accumulative effect, emotionally healing.”

The café was initially started in collaboration with TTVS (Taw and Torridge Volunteer Services) who promoted it on Voice FM. Representatives from local organisations offering practical advice have visited including South West Water, Devon Communities, North Devon Biosphere, The Co-op and Asda. Devon Mind volunteers are also there with support, and Bideford Mayor Rachel Clarke regularly drops in on the group.

33-year-old Cindy has been using Bideford Library with her children for many years. She then joined Chatty Café because she felt she needed some time for herself.  “I suffer with mental health issues and I feel as though I can go to Chatty Café no matter what I have going on and there would be someone there to listen to me if I ever needed to talk.”

The DCMS (Department for Culture Media and Sports) Know Your Neighbourhood funds were allocated to community groups to help tackle loneliness. Torridge was identified as an area of need and was one of 27 districts to receive the funding. Special events such as Halloween and Christmas have seen up to 40 people take part in the Café, many finding out about it from personal recommendations.

Chatty Café is run by Libraries Unlimited Volunteer Coordinator Sarah Robinson, and Bideford Library Supervisor Rachel Tettersell. Libraries Unlimited is the charity which runs the 54 libraries around Devon and Torbay.

Rachel said: “Loneliness can literally shorten your life. According to the Campaign to End Loneliness it has an increased risk of early mortality of 26%. It can also put people at greater risk of poorer mental health including depression. It’s been a pleasure to see how well the Chatty Café has gone in the last year and we want to see it continue to go from strength to strength.”

Sarah added: “A key part of the Chatty Café is that the people who come also play a role in running it as volunteers. They have become a team and help set up the tables and chairs and prepare the lunch. They’ve effectively taken ownership of the Café. Research by the National Council for Voluntary Service shows four in five people said volunteering improved their wellbeing and helps them feel connected. The volunteers, some of whom have health challenges, have flexibility around the time they arrive and leave and know that if they can’t make a session, they will be missed, but there is no expectation they attend every week.

“The main thing about Chatty Café is that you hear laughter. Feedback has told us that people always leave feeling better than when they arrived. There is an honesty about the struggles people are facing but a comradery in how to overcome them. I feel very proud to be part of the team that is making such a difference.”

Joyce has been volunteering with Bideford Library’s Chatty Cafe project for over a year. She helps to set up the tables and clear away. “My husband died two years ago. Around the same time my son moved to Plymouth and I was sat on my own in my flat. I’m learning to be on my own which is very hard. I’m the youngest of 13 children and have always had family around me. It’s been difficult. Coming to the Chatty Café has been absolutely brilliant. Better than a bag of gold!”

The project has been so successful there’s now a monthly Chatty Café running in Appledore Library throughout the winter, and local organisations have shown an interest in supporting the project beyond its current funding.