Each year East Coseley Big Local organises four seasonal Lunch and Chat events during the daytime for local people to come together to enjoy and share a three-course meal together. The meals bring people of all ages together, people that might be on their own or simply looking for a place to be to meet others for a drink, meal and a chat.
In the beginning, East Coseley workers and volunteers found it quite challenging to find people living on their own as many were quite isolated and rarely left the house. It’s through partnerships with local services Just Straight Talk, Integrated Plus and local residential homes, working closely with people to help them to stay connected in their day-to-day work, that we have been able to find and connect people in Coseley. This collaboration has helped us to reach people of all ages (from 21 to a staggering 101 years old!).
A partnership with Marston’s Brewery and local pub The Apple Tree Inn has provided a safe, friendly and familiar space to host the meals where local people can get to know each other. The staff who work there are always welcoming and make sure everybody feels comfortable.
New people are often accompanied to the meal with support and encouragement from the service, helping them to feel comfortable leaving their home with confidence that they will be safe.
East Coseley Big Local workers and volunteers have also been raising awareness with local residents and helping them to spot people who may be experiencing loneliness. This has led many to carry out small acts of kindness to check in with their neighbours. A few residents have referred neighbours to the Coseley meal.
It’s by working together that we have been able to find and bring people together.
At this year’s Christmas Lunch and Chat we were joined by 80 residents from Coseley of all ages to enjoy a meal together.
Georgia from the Integrated Plus team got chatting to some of the residents at this months Christmas Lunch and Chat event… Integrated Plus identifies opportunities for people to become more involved and active in their community to help improve their wellbeing. “Jason and I were kindly invited to come along with clients that we had worked with over the past year who reside in Coseley. Ten of our clients came along and joined in with the festivities.
This is Joyce (and Georgia)! Integrated Plus met Joyce earlier in the year to help her to attend Airtime, a social group for people with respiratory conditions. Joyce said she enjoyed the meal: “I appreciate coming here. The best part is talking to other people because I spend a lot of time on my own”.
This is Karen (left) and Irene (right). Karen said she enjoyed the meal as this enabled her to talk to other people and made her feel more involved in the community. Karen and Irene are hoping to meet up soon when shopping in Coseley!
Integrated Plus met Betty and her son Trevor in the summer to help her to claim a blue badge to get out and about more easily.
“The meal has been lovely and would recommend it to anyone who is feeling lonely. It is a break from being on your own.”
From left to right, this is Gordon, Gwen, her friend Dorothy and Derek. Gordon is 92 and is used to being on his own but feels that getting out to speak to other people is nice, especially around Christmas time. Gwen and Dorothy thought it was lovely to have a Christmas treat like this locally. Although they’ve
Derek: “I have been overwhelmed by kindness here. I feel safe and I have enjoyed every minute. I haven’t been out for months so it has been nice to get out and speak with new people”. Derek has also accessed additional support from Integrated Plus including obtaining a new bathroom through a Dudley home improvement service.
It is clear to see that gatherings like this help to combat loneliness and how speaking with other people can really make a difference to someone’s happiness, especially at Christmas time. During this meal, some of our clients saw people that they hadn’t seen in a long time and were able to chat with them.” Georgia, Integrated Plus.
Just Straight Talk (JST) is a community project supporting people by providing the practical help and motivation they need to turn their lives around. JST helps people to increase their confidence and self-esteem which results with engaging positively within society. Many people have been supported by JST to attend the Lunch and Chat events.
At the last Christmas meal we were also joined by Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) from Sedgley and Coseley handing out ‘Christmas presents… with a twist’ – Gift bags full of crime prevention advice and home security gadgets. It was great to have them join us at the meal to speak with local people that may be vulnerable to crime.
If you would like to find out more about the Coseley Lunch and Chat events contact neil@eastcoseleybiglocal.net
