A new initiative is seeking volunteers to help tackle loneliness in Stoke-on-Trent by hosting 'Chatter & Natter' tables in local restaurants.

The Chatty Cafe Scheme, a non-profit social enterprise designed to tackle isolation, has teamed up with four Toby Cavery restaurants in Stoke-on-Trent.

The organisation is looking for volunteers at Toby Carvery Talke, Toby Carvery Trentham Village, Toby Carvery Endon and Toby Carvery Festival Park to host a weekly 'Chatter & Natter' table aimed at offering local people a welcoming space to come together for conversation.

Sandra Smith, 51, is a volunteer host who helped set up The Chatty Café at Baskeyfield House, a retirement community run by Sanctuary Supported Living in Middleport.

She said: "We've only being going a few months, but the group has really grown. We regularly have a dozen people coming along. There's a mix of residents and non-residents, and everyone is welcome.

"It's lovely to see the community come together to have a chat. We have such a laugh and it's fantastic to see how much these sessions mean to people. I hope the new Toby Carvery ones will be as successful and I wish them well in recruiting volunteers to host the tables."

Burslem resident, Jason Mottram, recently trained as a Chatty Café volunteer host.

He felt he wanted to give something back after he received support following a stroke which he is still recovering from.

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The 41-year-old explained: "I call Sandra my work wife as we work as a team. If I see she's having a conversation with someone who needs to talk privately then I focus on the other members of the group and let them have the time they need.

"Because of my brain injury it took a year to get my speech back to normal but my right-hand side still doesn't move properly so walking is a struggle.

"I only live 10 minutes away so can use my mobility scooter to come to The Chatty Café sessions. It's great to just chill out and talk about the week. It's all fun and giggles."

Martin Nelson, Divisional Director (Restaurants Division) at pub and restaurant company Mitchells & Butlers, who own Toby Carvery said: "Hospitality is, at its heart, about making people feel welcome and our pubs have traditionally been at the heart of the community.

"By partnering with The Chatty Cafe Scheme, we're using our scale and our spaces to help address loneliness, one of the biggest social challenges facing communities today.

"Whether it's over a coffee in the morning or a cuppa in the afternoon, we want our pubs and restaurants to be welcoming spaces where people feel comfortable coming in on their own and leaving feeling part of something. We look forward to welcoming groups to our Toby Carvery restaurants in Stoke."

Alex Hoskyn, Founder of The Chatty Cafe Scheme, said: "By introducing Chatter & Natter tables, Toby Carvery are creating simple, welcoming spaces where anyone can come in, have a coffee, and know they're not alone."

To find out more about the Chatty Cafe scheme, or to become a volunteer host, visit the website here.

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