A SCHEME aiming to reduce loneliness and isolation has been introduced in a bid to get residents talking.

The Chatty Cafe scheme involves local cafs designating a ‘Chatter and Natter Table’, where customers can sit if they are happy to talk to others visiting the venue.

Concerned resident, Kim Linge, brought the idea to south Essex, hoping cafes from all around the county will take part to help get people socialising.

Each cafe which takes part will receive a box, containing an A4 plastic table sign, posters, leaflets, as well as door and window stickers to help residents recognise where the scheme is taking place and where they can go for a chat.

The plastic sign is put on the chatter and natter table and it is the cafe’s choice to choose which table they want to use for the scheme as well as choosing when they will offer customers the opportunity to use it.

Taking part in the scheme costs a small fee of £10 a year for these materials, which Kim hopes could make a difference in the community.

Anyone and everyone is welcome to join in and sit at the chatter and natter tables, aiming to benefit all.

Kim Linge runs the Chatty Cafe scheme locally, alongside friends Sandra Clark and Meyrem Wilson.

Kim, from Benfleet, said: “There is absolutely nothing like this in this area, so many want to chat and socialise but don’t have a place to do this. I wanted to start it immediately.

“On January 7, I met with a few friends who I thought might be interested to help with the scheme and we started discussing.

“Next thing you know we have arranged our first cafe to take part.”

Th3 60-year-old added: “We hope people can come to the cafes and find someone to talk to or make friends. People need to socialise more and look out for each other.

“It’s so important to get people talking, loneliness is awful.

“Feeling lonely is detrimental to your health, it can lead to depression and anxiety. It really shortens your life. I know myself from my experience with anxiety.

“Not everyone can get out, families don’t live as close and people aren’t having children as often.

“We all need our friends and social circle for our mental and physical health.”

The Salvation Army Hadleigh Tea Rooms was the first cafe to support the scheme.

Danielle Morgan, who helps to run the tea rooms, said: “Supporting the Chatty Cafe scheme and becoming the first community cafe in Hadleigh, Essex to participate aligns with our mission values of serving social injustice and promoting strong community engagement.

“Feelings of loneliness are common among us all and are considered by some a spiritual issue. Often it is not defined by the absence of people, but the presence of pain.

“With a reported rise in mental health issues and the conversation growing around how best to tackle these, schemes such as Chatty Cafe offer a physical and proactive way to begin reducing the stigma around mental health issues and feelings of loneliness and promote positive real life interactions within our local community.

“We hope the launch of Chatty Cafe at Hadleigh Tea Rooms will encourage members of the local community to sit down and engage in interesting and meaningful conversations with people from all walks of life.”

The scheme will launch at the tea rooms on February 14, in time for Valentine’s Day.

The second cafe to get involved in the scheme is The Coffee Grind, in Kiln Road, Benfleet.

The Coffee Grind is a community coffee shop which is run by Carers Choices, which covers a broad range of care in the community.

This includes providing centres for dementia sufferers, rainbow centres for young adults with disabilities as well as groups for young carers.

Funds raised from the coffee shop go towards the charity.

Catherine Foreman, manager at The Coffee Grind, said: “When we were approached about the scheme, we could tell it fit in nicely with what we’re about which is helping the community.

“A lot of people do feel alone, but this scheme could help prove that they’re not and help them feel they are part of a group.”