A mum combating loneliness across the UK, thanks to her 750 ‘Chatty Cafés’, is aiming to open her 1,000th in 2026 – after already helping 30,000 isolated Brits. Alex Hoskyn, 42, of Oldham, Greater Manchester, felt desolate herself in 2017 after the birth of her first child, Henry, being alone on maternity leave during the day with her husband out working and was desperate for company.
She realised the simple act of “20 minutes of conversation” could boost everyone’s day, and some had the brainwave to put a sign on tables inviting people to sit and chat – sparking The Chatty Café Scheme. Now the non-profit social enterprise has 750 ‘Chatter and Natter’ tables across Britain in cafes, pubs, community centres, care homes and Costa Coffee stores and has helped over 30,000 lonely people.
But this year, the mother-of-two and full-time social worker’s dream of expanding to 1,000 UK venues requires the community interest company (CIC) to source £1m in funding over five years.
She explained: “Almost 10 years ago, the scheme was born from my own experience of loneliness after having Henry.
“In many ways, it was the happiest time of my life, but with my husband, Ryan, and friends at work, the days were long and lonely.
“I was sitting alone in a café one day, struggling with the isolation of motherhood, and there was an elderly lady at one table and a gentleman with a disability and his carer at another. I thought ‘wouldn’t it be great to sit together’.
“The simple act of 20 minutes of connection, company and conversation could change everyone’s day. But approaching a stranger is not comfortable for either party.
“So, I thought ‘why not put a sign on tables inviting people to sit and chat’ and the idea for The Chatty Café Scheme was born. It addressed a far wider need. People are generally happier having human contact. A designated table means customers who want to talk to each other can.
“It’s good to have a mix too, as you don’t necessarily want to sit with people just like you. I didn’t just want to socialise with other young mums, and many older people don’t want to just chat with people their own age.”
According to the Office for National Statistics, levels of loneliness in Great Britain have increased since spring 2020.
According to the latest national data, around 7% of adults in England, around 3.1 million people, report feeling lonely “often” or “always.”
A recent Ipsos survey by The Marmalade Trust found that 61% of UK adults who have ever felt lonely have never told anyone.
Other estimates suggest that the number of people who occasionally feel lonely is closer to 45% of adults. This equates to 25 million people. There is also an economic impact of loneliness and social isolation.
This could be as much as £32 billion each year (due to costs of public services required, such as healthcare, and loss of productivity), with a study by the Co-op suggesting that loneliness costs UK employers around £2.5 billion a year.
A 2023 evaluation report, ‘Tackling loneliness and isolation’, by Coventry University found 96% of Chatty Café Scheme users felt less lonely and socially isolated.
One person who believes she wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for attending the Chatter table sessions is Terrii Telfer, 74, of Portishead, near Bristol.
Having relocated for health reasons, she felt her social life suffered after the pandemic and was grieving the loss of her business and lifestyle when a year ago she suffered “a seriously bad day”, feeling very low when an acquaintance mentioned The Chatty Café Scheme – with both attending the next session at the Impero Lounge in Portishead.
Terrii explained: “The first time I went, I couldn’t talk to anyone, but I could see the potential was there to get to know people. I now attend regularly on a Monday, and I also go to the Teatro Lounge in Clevedon on a Wednesday.
“Having sessions to go to has really improved my mental state, and they’re the highlight of my week. I truly believe I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for The Chatty Café Scheme. They really have been a lifesaver for me.”
The Chatty Café Scheme has really taken off and as Alex is a full-time social worker her two sisters – Abi Murray and Jenny Conway – help run the non-for-profit social enterprise.
They already have around 750 participating venues, but their ambition is to reach 1,000 by the time they celebrate our 10th anniversary in April 2027.
Alex added: “To continue to expand we need to raise £1 million over the next five years so we can help thousands more people living in isolation.
“There’s no reason why the scheme couldn’t extend into schools, colleges and even businesses. We’re really proud to have helped 30,000 people so far.”
To become a Chatty Café Scheme venue, find your nearest Chatter and Natter table, be a supporter or volunteer visit here
