A Victoria-based community health initiative, Let’s Talk Live, has launched a new weekly meetup event to try to reduce loneliness among Victorians.
This latest recurring event has been dubbed ‘Let’s Talk Saturdays,’ and will be hosted at Murchie’s Tea & Coffee, beginning Saturday, January 31st, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
According to Jennie Keeran, founder and president of Let’s Talk Health Society, these gatherings aim to create welcoming, informal spaces where people can sit down with someone new and engage in simple, face-to-face conversation.
“We believe that small, everyday conversations can have a powerful impact on individual wellbeing and community resilience,” said Keeran
“By creating regular, welcoming spaces for connection, we’re helping people feel less alone and more connected to their community.”
These gatherings are free to attend, and there is no hidden agenda and no registration required. Participants can simply drop by Murchie’s at any time during the event window, and likewise leave whenever suits them best.
Furthermore, in an effort to grease the wheels of conversation Let’s Talk has dropped off conversation cards with some partners throughout downtown Victoria. These cards are meant to help people spark a more meaningful conversation that might lead to building new relationships.
According to Let’s Talk, these conversation cards can be found at Murchie’s Tea & Coffee, Whistle Buoy Brewing Company, Green Cuisine and Pagliacci’s.
Let’s Talk Live was started to address increasing social isolation and support mental wellbeing through everyday, in-person connection.
The initiative and its gatherings welcome people of all ages and backgrounds, with an emphasis on inclusivity, accessibility and community care.
In addition to the Saturday meetups at Murchie’s, Let’s Talk hosts Tuesday gatherings at Spinnakers Pub.
More information on the initiative’s various gatherings can be found on the Let’s Talk website.
Let’s Talk Saturdays
- When: Every Saturday, from 10 a.m. to noon
- Where: Murchie’s Tea & Coffee, 1110 Government Street
