Date published: 18 June 2019
Loneliness can affect anyone at any stage of life and can have a detrimental impact on health and well-being. As part of Loneliness Awareness Week (17-21 June), Colchester Borough Council wants to let everyone know how it’s taking steps to help tackle the issue across the borough.
CAFE ‘Colchester and Friends Events’, an initiative to encourage people to come together and get talking, launched its first event on 3 June at GO4 Café. The free event is aimed at people struggling with isolation and loneliness who would like to meet for refreshments and a friendly chat.
From Monday 1 July, nine new venues are joining GO4 Café to run CAFE events across Colchester: Age Concern Colchester, Book Rest Café, Greenstead Social Club, We Walk the Line Café at Firstsite, The Victoria Inn, Wednesday Coffee Mornings at Wimple Road Methodist Church, Mount Bures Connections, Thirsty Thursday and Friendly Friday at St Michael’s Church and 5T’s (Together on Thursdays for Tea at Two-Thirty) at St Mary’s Church Hall. Days and times vary depending on the venue(1).
Cllr Mike Lilley, Colchester Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Communities, Wellbeing and Public Safety, said: “Loneliness can be devastating and it’s scary to think that as many as one in ten people say that television is their main companion.
“I’m really pleased that we are launching nine new venues in July and I would encourage anyone who is interested to go along. I hope that by bringing people together, we can help people be better connected to the communities they live in and at the same time support the aims and objectives of the Livewell Initiative.”
All kinds of venues are being encouraged to sign up to hold CAFE events, opening their doors for up to two hours once a week, to allow people to come in for refreshments and a friendly chat.
For more information on CAFE and becoming a CAFE venue, visit colchester.gov.uk/cafe. You can follow CAFE at Enjoy Colchester on Facebook and @YourColchester on Twitter.
Page last reviewed: 18 June 2019