New Chatty Café opens in Cullybackey to help combat loneliness

A new Chatty Café is launched by The Mayor Ald William McCaughey and staff from Delightful Bites, Cullybackey

A fresh initiative to tackle loneliness and foster community connections has been launched in Mid and East Antrim, with the opening of a new Chatty Café at Delightful Bites in Cullybackey.

The café replaces Blessings Coffee Shop, which previously participated in the innovative Chatty Café scheme, and marks the latest effort by the Mid and East Antrim Loneliness Network to reduce social isolation across the borough.

The Chatty Café concept is elegantly simple: venues designate a “chatty table” where customers can sit if they’re open to striking up a conversation with others.

It’s part of a broader suite of initiatives spearheaded by the Loneliness Network, which also includes Chatty Benches, Loneliness Champions, and Kindness Postboxes, all designed to encourage meaningful human interaction in everyday settings.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman William McCaughey, officially welcomed the new café, highlighting its potential to transform lives through small but significant encounters.

“The Chatty Café will encourage local people in Cullybackey to make opportunities to connect with each other and see how it could benefit the lives of the surrounding community,” he said. “Loneliness can affect anyone, and simple social exchanges can make a big difference to how people feel.”

The Mayor praised the Loneliness Network for its work in creating welcoming spaces that ease the pressure of day-to-day communication.

“Whether a student is feeling homesick at university, a grandparent is suffering from loneliness, or a new parent is looking for some company beyond that of their newborn, the Chatty Café is open to everybody,” he added.

Sabrina Lynn from the Northern Health and Social Care Trust underscored the broader impact of the initiative.

“Chatty Cafés give people a pathway to reconnect with society and have been really effective in bringing people together,” she said. “They tackle loneliness within the community, encourage stronger relations, and build upon an existing positive community ethos.”

At the heart of the initiative is a belief in the power of conversation to lift spirits and combat isolation.

Marjorie Hawkins, Chairperson of the Mid and East Antrim Loneliness Network, explained the ethos behind the scheme.

“A positive conversation can have a huge impact on you, especially for those feeling lonely. It can really brighten up your day,” she said. “Many people can go a long time, even if they are out of the house all day, without properly interacting with somebody else. This is what the Chatty Benches and Chatty Cafés aim to change.”

Hawkins was keen to clarify that the goal is not to forge deep friendships or lifelong bonds, but rather to facilitate brief, meaningful interactions. “We aren’t trying to build friendships or get people to meet their future spouses – we simply want to increase interactions that combat loneliness and can make a big impact on somebody’s day,” she said.

The launch of the Chatty Café at Delightful Bites comes at a time when loneliness is increasingly recognised as a public health concern, affecting people of all ages and backgrounds. By creating spaces where strangers can become momentary companions, the Mid and East Antrim Loneliness Network hopes to weave a stronger social fabric across the borough, one conversation at a time.

Residents of Cullybackey and beyond are warmly invited to visit the new Chatty Café, take a seat at the chatty table, and share a moment of connection over a cup of tea. In a world that often feels increasingly disconnected, initiatives like this remind us of the enduring value of a simple hello.