New ‘Chatty Café’ reducing loneliness and social isolation opens at Number One Riverside Bean Café

Launch day for the Chatty Café

A new ‘Chatty Café’ reducing loneliness and social isolation has opened at the Bean café inside Number One Riverside in Rochdale town centre.

The Chatty Café was launched on 17 August by the Living Well team, people from the community and councillors Billy Sheerin and Sameena Zaheer, who both cut the ribbon.

The Chatty Café Scheme is the UK’s leading non-profit organisation tackling loneliness, providing face-to-face meet ups around the UK and the service has been introduced in collaboration with Rochdale Borough Council, and Living Well’s separate telephone ‘chatter’ service.

Part of the Big Life group and commissioned by Rochdale Borough Council. Living Well aims to help tackle the main causes of long-term ill-health in the borough linked to lifestyle choice.

Its ‘chatter’ service offers a listening ear to anyone in the borough (aged 18+) who wants to take a break, let go of a worry or just chat about anything, in order to reduce social isolation and loneliness.

You can talk to them as often as you like and there’s no expectations.

The Chatty Café Scheme at Bean, Number One Riverside, works in a similar manner, only providing face-to-face provisions each Thursday from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

For more information, please call Living Well’s ‘chatter’ service on 01706 392210.