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Inverness businesses urged: Talking will help to beat loneliness


By Val Sweeney

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Susan White of Befrienders Highland.
Susan White of Befrienders Highland.

CAFÉS in Inverness are being urged to sign up to a growing UK-wide scheme which aims to tackle loneliness and social isolation across all ages and sections of society.

The Chatty Café campaign encourages strangers to sit together at a designated “Chatter and Natter” table.

The idea was devised by a fed-up Manchester mother who visited a supermarket café with her four-month-old son and noticed other seemingly downcast people sitting on their own.

Befrienders Highland, which aims to reduce loneliness and social isolation by providing supported friendships through trained volunteers, is now appealing to cafés in the area to sign up to the scheme.

Susan White, the charity’s executive director, said the idea was to provide a shared table at specific times each week for customers who were happy to chat with others over a hot drink, whether it was for five minutes or an hour.

“It is for anybody,” said Miss White, who highlighted the scheme as part of Loneliness Awareness Week. “People might not be feeling isolated – they might just be getting out of the house.

“I think everyone starts to feel isolated or lonely at some point.

“The more we can encourage people to talk to strangers, the more it will help everyone. It will have a ripple effect.”

Miss White said a brief conversation might be the only social interaction some people had but it could make a big difference.

“Recently, I met an elderly man on my way to work who told me he hadn’t spoken to another person in over five days despite living in a retirement community,” she said.

“I know all my neighbours but I am the sort of person who will talk to anyone. If you are quite introverted and don’t have the confidence to do that it can be difficult. As a society we need to think of different ways to get people talking to one another.

“If you smile at someone and pass the time of day with them, it can make a big difference.”

Befrienders Highland is currently supporting more than 100 people across the Highlands and Argyll and Bute and has a further 40 on the waiting list. It has 130 volunteers but hopes to recruit more.

The charity works with people who are lonely or isolated because of mental ill health or memory problems as well as carers.

It provides face-to-face befriending as well as distance befriending by phone, letter or email, plus group activities.

“Loneliness is becoming an increasingly prevalent issue in all age groups and we know that loneliness contributes to mental ill health, and physical health issues in a number of ways but is often a hidden problem that people are reluctant to talk about,” Miss White added.


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