Get to know people with a cuppa

Know someone who could do with getting out of the house more? Or a friend whose social circle is not what it used to be? Or someone new to your community? Bring them along to a Community Cuppa event to find out more about what’s going on in the local area.

The Community Cuppa sessions are designed to build connections between people in communities around Lincolnshire, helping tackle loneliness and social isolation.

There are sessions taking place throughout June which will build on the success of the previous Community Cuppa events, held in April. More than 96 per cent of those who came along said they’d attend again and listed benefits such as making new friends, meeting representatives from local organisations and finding out about activities and opportunities in the local area.

“Being new to the area this event has meant I can find out more about groups and activities that are nearby,” said a Community Cuppa participant. “It’s been really enjoyable, I’ve chatted to a number of groups and am now thinking about becoming a volunteer with a local group.”

The Community Cuppa scheme is being run by charity Community Lincs and Lincolnshire Co-op.

All the events in June will be hosted by Community Lincs staff and colleagues from Lincolnshire Co-op. There will be hot drinks served, plus cakes and fruit, all provided by the local Lincolnshire Co-op food store. Find your nearest event here.

Organisers of the Community Cuppa events are also looking for small local groups to join in and have a stand at the events so they can tell local people more about what they offer – and hopefully get more participants involved.

“Working closely with Lincolnshire Co-op has enabled Community Lincs to build on the success of the Community Cuppa events, which took place throughout April,” said Gail Jackson, CEO of Community Lincs. “Many of Lincolnshire’s communities are very active and have a range of community-based services and groups available; but often these are hidden assets with few people knowing they even exist.

“Lincolnshire Co-op’s generous support and commitment from their staff means that we can continue to develop Community Cuppa and give people the opportunity to meet, enjoy refreshments, develop new friendships and find out about local groups and services.”

Lincolnshire Co-op’s Community Manager Sam Turner said: “There’s been some great stories coming from Community Cuppa – we’ve heard of people swapping phone numbers, joining their local health walk groups and getting in touch with community transport services to name just a few.

“We know that there are a lot more people out there who could benefit from going along to these events and making connections in their local community."

Any interested groups are encouraged to contact Samantha Smith from Community Lincs on 01529 302466 or via email at samantha.smith@communitylincs.com.