Sainsbury's launches 'talking tables' initiative to combat loneliness

Sainsbury’s new ‘Talking Tables’ initiative is helping to tackle the loneliness epidemic that affects one in five adults in the UK by bridging community connections in-store.

The initiative is being trialled in 20 stores across the country between October and December, with the hope of bringing people together.

The concept has been developed in association with the Chatty Café Scheme, which was launched in 2017 by mother-of-one, Alexandra Hoskyn, after she spotted an elderly woman alone in a supermarket cafe and a young man with his support worker who looked like he could use some company.

Judith Batchelar, director of Sainsbury’s Brand, said: “We know from our Living Well Index that community connections are a key driver of helping people to live well. Yet with almost two thirds of us feeling lonely some of the time, it’s important that we contribute to helping to improve the lives of our customers and communities.

“We hope that by bringing people together at our Talking Tables, we can utilise the potential of our store-space to help people be better connected to the communities they live and work in.”

The initiative comes as new research from Sainsbury’s Living Well Index, developed in partnership with Oxford Economics and the National Centre for Social Research, reveals the UK’s sense of wellbeing has fallen in the past 12 months – with loneliness identified as a key characteristic of those.

‘Talking Tables’ is being trialled in a variety of formats, including a sign-posted table located in cafés in-store, a variation where colleagues who would like to be involved can volunteer to be table hosts, and a charity-led format where stores will partner with community groups and work with their volunteer networks to host scheduled sessions.

Sainsbury’s is also trialling the programme internally with colleagues by setting up Talking Tables in back-of-house areas in its stores, depots and Store Support Centres.

More information from results on Sainsbury’s latest Living Well Index can be found at www.about.sainsburys.co.uk/living-well-index