An update from our Chatty Cafe team in the Mornington Peninsula
by Gaynor Ridley and Jacky Howgate
March has come and gone and in Melbourne I guess that means our long summer days are gone and we’re heading into Autumn. I’m back in the UK for personal and professional reasons and have really missed my weekly chats at some of our local venues. I’m not sure yet when I’ll be back on the Morn Pen but as you’ll see from the photos for this month, Gaynor has been keeping things going while I’ve been away.
Dinner at the Dava.
Hopefully our second ‘Dinner at the Dava’ will have taken place by the time you read this. The first one was a great success and a great opportunity for people who work 9-5 to gather for a chat and a meal in the evening.
Coffee with Chris Crewther
Chris and his team are hosting a monthly chatty table and they are now officially signed up to the scheme. Welcome aboard!
Seaford Library launch
Not strictly Morn Pen but part of our mission to have a chatty table in as many venues as possible Australia-wide.
I helped Hannah from Frankston Library launch our table just before I flew back to the UK and we were joined by some of our Frankston library regulars. There is a great café opposite the library and Hannah has negotiated a special deal, so why not drop in there and grab a coffee on your way to the library? We don’t have a chatty volunteer there as yet, so I’ll be back hosting the table once I get back to Melbourne until we can get somebody trained and ready.
New Venue – they could run but they couldn’t hide!!
The combined persuasion of Gaynor, Eunie and I was finally enough to persuade the lovely owners of The Pantry Café in Benton Square to sign up for the scheme and Gaynor has sent me some photos of the happy chatters. Gaynor is thrilled with how things have started, and we welcome Nicole as she takes over.
A Chat a Day in May
Plans are slowly taking shape for this, our biggest, event yet. We are hoping to have 31different venues hosting a chatty table for every day in May and my goal is to get around to all of them along with some of our volunteers! I’ve waiting for some updates from Alex, Chair of Mornington Chamber of Commerce and she is working out the best way to get local businesses (not just cafes) involved. More news soon!
Chatty Café Promotion and new volunteers
If you know of any groups who may be interested in learning more about Chatty, please let them know that I am available for public speaking (!!) and I am happy to deliver a formal presentation or just chat to them.
If you know of other venues or friends who would make great Chatty Volunteers, please let Gaynor and myself know as we can get them trained up and ready to host a table.
