Residents and visitors to Southport are being invited to come along to the town’s ‘Friendship Cafe’ which takes place every Sunday afternoon.
The Cafe, which was originally set up to help combat loneliness and isolation, started back in 2018 but had to close due to lockdown restrictions.
But it is now back up and running each Sunday afternoon from 1pm – 3pm and the Cafe’s founder Lesley Muir-Taylor of the Southport Salvation Army is hoping it will provide a haven for those in the local community who might otherwise be alone during the weekend.
Lesley said: It has been lovely to see some familiar faces at our friendship cafe and we would love to welcome you too. Have you found this last year quite isolating? Are you missing interacting with others? Please come along and try the Friendship Cafe for yourself. It is free to attend and you get to meet other like-minded people. We provide everyone the opportunity to engage in friendship, light refreshment, activities or simply just to be in the company of others.
“Everyone is welcome to come along. We have people of all ages turning up and from a variety of different backgrounds. It’s a lovely safe and friendly atmosphere and a great opportunity for people to meet and make new friends.”
The Friendship Café, which is part of the wider programme of activities provided by the Southport Salvation Army, is held at the Salvation Army Café, 65 Shakespeare Street, PR86AJ, close to the town centre. Drinks and light refreshments are provided throughout the afternoon and everything is free of charge.
Lesley said: “Often people come along and just like to meet, chat and socialise and sometimes they like to join in our small weekly quiz.
“I set the cafe up because I recognised that there was a real need to support people in our town who are living alone, feeling lonely or who are socially isolated. It’s terrible to think that some people don’t get to speak to another person all weekend and we really want to combat this by providing a few hours of chat and friendship.”
If you would like to find out more about the Friendship Cafe please call Lesley on 07368 297861 or feel free to call in at the Cafe any weekend, where you will be made to feel most welcome.
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