So its nearly the end of the year; a year that has changed my life in more ways than one. In January I got engaged and in just a few weeks there will be a wedding. Its been the year that a baby has turned into a little boy and we are finally moving our washing machine out of the cellar and into the house.
Its been the year that loneliness has gone from a socially constructed word to a fully fledged health concern with a call to action from the government by the Jo Cox Commission.
There have been highs, real highs and also lows which at the time feel like the worst feelings you can feel but inevitably they pass and life carries on.
There has been the start of The Chatty Café Scheme born out of the loneliness I felt as a new mum where I simultaneously lost my identity and gained it by becoming a parent.
It has been a year of meeting new people, working hard and dreaming big. I have been amazed by the emails I have received from people all over the UK telling me how much they love the scheme and their touching personal stories of loneliness. I have had many emails from cafes all over the UK wanting to join the scheme which makes me think it really could become part of UK café culture.
What this year has shown me is that there are lots of people out there who believe in the good that Chatter & Natter tables could do and that feels like a great end to 2017.
After the wedding I will be pushing the scheme as hard as I can in the hope that it really will help people; people like me, people like you and people we see every day but don’t talk to…. yet!
Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year. 🙂
