Chatty Café: Creating connections through conversation

Woden Community Service are exploring opportunities to launch the ACT's first Chatty Café network and are inviting local cafés to be part of it.

Chatty Café is a simple initiative that creates opportunities for people to connect with others in their community over a coffee, tea or meal. Participating cafés host a designated table or regular session where people can sit down, have a conversation and meet someone new.

The initiative is open to anyone interested in expanding their connections, meeting people from different backgrounds and building a stronger sense of community.

People might attend because they are new to the area, working from home, retired, studying, raising a family, or simply interested in meeting others outside their usual social circles.

Why Chatty Café?

Chatty Café provides a simple way for communities to create more opportunities for connection and conversation in everyday places.

The initiative has been successfully adopted in communities across Australia and internationally, helping bring people together through informal, face-to-face conversations.

For local cafés, becoming a Chatty Café Partner is an opportunity to:

• Support community connection and participation

• Position your business as a welcoming community venue

• Introduce new visitors to your café

• Be part of an innovative local initiative

• Contribute to a more connected and inclusive community

Interested cafés can learn more about the model and how it operates through the Chatty Café Australia toolkit: How to Roll Out Chatty Café in Your Area.

Get Involved

We're currently seeking:

• Local cafés interested in becoming Chatty Café Partners

• Community members who would like to participate

• Volunteers who enjoy meeting and connecting with people

Interested in being part of Canberra's first Chatty Café network?

Whether you're a café owner keen to host a session, a volunteer looking to help facilitate conversations, or a community member who would like to take part, we'd love to hear from you.

Contact the Community Development Team at communitydevelopment@wcs.org.au to register your interest or learn more.