FRIENDLY chats over coffee are taking place at a Finchampstead cafe.
The FBC centre in Gorse Ride North launched its new friendship table on Monday, last week – the day lockdown restrictions eased.
The table comes as part of the Friendship Alliance initiative, run by The Link Visiting Scheme, Age UK Berkshire, Involve Community Services and the Wokingham Volunteer Centre.
It aims to tackle loneliness and improve the mental wellbeing of residents.
Due to restrictions, the Friendship Cafe has been running online but it is now encouraging local venues to provide a friendship table to help people make new connections.
It follows on from similar tables already running at the Pinewood Leisure Centre cafe.
Jac Pluves, leader of the community team at Finchampstead Baptist Church, said their cafe is a place where people can “navigate the messy ups and downs of life” together.
She added: “The pandemic has made one thing abundantly clear, that isolation and loneliness are a very real problem and launching a friendship table, in partnership with the Friendship Alliance, has created a new opportunity for people in the community who would otherwise find it difficult to make new connections in a safe and friendly environment.
“The FBC team knows that if someone sits at this table, they are open to having a conversation and will actively approach people sitting there and we hope that our customers will join us and be part of building a community that celebrates the value and potential in everyone.”
Friendship Alliance project lead Jayne Streak explained the table will also be attended by a member of staff every Tuesday between 10am and noon.
She said: “During the pandemic, people have become more community focused and have volunteered, so the aim of the Friendship Table is about keeping that community spirit going.
“It’s lovely to see that such a small thing can make a massive difference and it’s great to see a nice range of people already using the table and chatting to each other.”
To host a table or volunteer, email: jayne@linkvisiting.org
For more information, log on to: linkvisiting.org
