On Monday, 20 March, to coincide with International Day of Happiness, the cities of Bayside, Glen Eira and Stonnington will officially launch the expansion of the Chatty Café movement into the inner south-east of Melbourne.
The three councils have joined forces with Chatty Café Australia to roll-out Chatty Tables in their local area – thanks to funding from the Victorian Government’s Inner South-East Metropolitan Partnerships.
“Each week Chatty Tables are taking place at venues across inner Melbourne – and we’d love locals to join us for a cuppa and chat!” said Glenys Reid, Managing Director of Chatty Café Australia.
“Chatty Café is a global movement to bring people together, reduce loneliness and social isolation, and build connections.”
“The research is clear about the long-term physical and mental health impacts of loneliness and social isolation,” she said, “and in our 2022 pilot in Bayside, participants reported more than 20% increase in mood after attending just one Chatty Café session’.
“We know that having a friendly chat and being connected with others makes us feel good – and we’re thrilled to be able to spread this joy across more venues in Melbourne,” added Glenys.
These are free events and there’s no booking required.
Participating venues have a Chatty Table where anyone in the community can grab a seat, enjoy a drink or a bite to eat, and have a chat with others. Most Chatty Tables are supported by a Chatty Café volunteer ‘host’ to make people feel welcome and get the conversation started.
Chatty Café is a safe, inclusive space for everyone in the community.
Check out the below links for more details, including Chatty Tables in each of these areas:
Visit www.chattycafeaustralia.org.au for upcoming Chatty Café events in your area and follow our event hashtag #ChattyCafeAUS to get all the latest updates.
