My latest podcast is about combatting loneliness and boosting social isolation. In the attached link (see below) I chat with Marina Sabolova, founder of OK Talk, a counselling practice based in Portishead.
In the chat we specifically reference the Chatty Café Scheme, a fantastic initiative that encourages open, friendly chats in local cafés, seeking to reduce isolation one conversation at a time. You can find your nearest Chatty Café using the interactive map on the official website:
www.thechattycafescheme.co.uk There is no need to book or register in advance, you can just turn up and join in. The table in the cafe should have a poster of some sort indicating who they are.
The Marmalade Trust, another organisation dedicated to raising awareness about loneliness, run Loneliness Awareness Week every June, offering powerful campaigns, resources (see attachment), and encouragement for people to talk more openly about loneliness: See
www.marmaladetrust.org. If you’d like to share the resources with the Marmalade Trust community, they can be emailed directly: info@marmaladetrust.org. Loneliness Awareness Week runs from 9th to 15th June in 2025.
Noel Bell is a UKCP accredited psychotherapist and can be contacted on 07852407140
