Connections matter - loneliness awareness week

Did you know this week is loneliness awareness week in the UK? Headed by the Marmalade Trust, the week aims to recognise that we all get lonely at times and get people talking about it.

This year's campaign is focussed on connections and how important they are, from the smallest daily interactions such as a quick chat with a friendly face whilst out on a walk, to more regular activities that help you meet others and feel connected.

Of course, pubs have long been a place to meet up with friends, find new friends and join in with some fun activities to connect with others. Here at the Bell, we run the following on a regular basis to encourage just that:

Chatty Cafe

Our Chatty Cafe runs every Saturday, 12.30 to 2.30pm and is hosted by our volunteers so everyone can feel welcome and come along. We set aside a large Chatter and Natter table, where you can join in the conversation. We offer a special discount on a hot drink and sandwich or slice of cake as well. Our volunteers can also help with a lift to and from the Chatty Cafe if you live in a local village - just give us a call on 01805 625313 for more information.

Friendly darts night

Every Thursday we host a friendly darts night from 8.30pm. A talent for playing is not required - it's much more about the banter and fun that can be had alongside the games (although if you do show even a slight tendency to being any good, you may well be roped into one of our league teams!)

Sunday afternoon pub games

Sundays from 4 to 7pm we have a core of people who come in for a few relaxed pints and we often get our selection of pub games out for some light entertainment. This includes the old favourites such as Cribbage, Shove H'apenny and Jenga, plus some more unusual games such as Crockinole. Come along and have a go - we have a good selection so you can grab a game with friends or join in with some new faces. We're also open to hosting any gaming groups who are looking for a new venue to have a games session - just give us a call to discuss on 01805 625313.

Monthly pub quiz and music bingo

Our monthly quiz and music bingo nights fall on Saturdays and are all about the laughs. We keep them light and fun - rather than too serious! The dates are in the What's On page on our website, so keep an eye on this to see when the next dates fall.

We are always open to suggestions for new groups and activities we can run to add to our opportunities for you to come together, so do let us know if you have any ideas.

A quote that we recently heard and stuck in our minds was this: "One of the greatest things anyone can do is give people a reason to come together and connect with each other." It is something we will continue to aim to do and we would love to see as many of you as possible along the way.

#connectionmatters #lonelinessawarenessweek