Chatty Cafes
1303. Alex Hoskyn
Alex Hoskyn, from Oldham, launched the 'Chatty Cafes' scheme running in over 1,300 premises across the UK to tackle loneliness by encouraging cafes to dedicate space for strangers to chat and connect.
Moved to action by her own sense of loneliness as a young mother in busy cafes, Alex has partnered with major corporations to roll out the initiative, including Costa Coffee which have signed up over 400 branches nationwide.
In a personal letter to Alex, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“I know you do this with no thought of praise or reward, but allow me to offer my own recognition of how your ‘Chatty Cafe Scheme’ is transforming the culture of talking to other people in cafes, combating loneliness and opening up people’s lives.”
Alex said:
“I am shocked and over the moon to be given this award. It means so much that The Chatty Café Scheme is being recognised by the Prime Minister and I feel really, really proud.”