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May's Chitter Chatter Family Newsletter issue #38

Welcome to our lovely newsletter, to encourage and empower you to heal.

Smiling Mirrors

(image created by Freepix)

Loneliness is powerful. It grips. It suffocates. It convinces people that nothing can change.
But that’s wrong. Even the voice in your own mind can be wrong.
Because the moment someone steps into a room filled with warmth, eye contact, and genuine welcome, that grip weakens. We hold the key — not as an organisation, but as a community. Every greeting, every shared story, every moment of kindness helps unshackle someone who thought they were stuck.
This is why our clubs matter. This is why we all keep showing up. And this is why we’ll continue to create spaces where people rediscover their strength, their voice, and their place in the world.
In the beginning, many of us practised our smile in the mirror.

Everyone in our photos has battled this dark soul‑grip at some point.

We took off our slippers, put on our shoes, and made determined steps toward a Chitter Chatter Club. Some made it through the door. Some didn’t. But we know for sure that those who didn’t still gained something — the confidence to go for a little walk, to get their shopping, to take one brave step more than the day before.
So practise your smile in the mirror and watch how your world will change. As the old adage says, a smile can travel the whole world.

Brene Brown states 'If you believe you are rejected, everywhere you go, everything you see will remind you that you are rejected.' If you wear a smile and tell yourself, 'I'm friendly and I'm moving forwards.'
Practise not feeling rejected when someone doesn’t smile back. because their face was already set in that expression long before you arrived with your spark for mankind. Their ugly look was never about you.
Practise your smile in the mirror — not becau

se you need to pretend, but because you’re strengthening a muscle that loneliness once tried to weaken.

WOULD YOU RUN A MARATHON TO RAISE FUNDING FOR CHITTER CHATTER CLUB?

Basketball fanatics Artie, Finn, and Marcus have not only offered to do this to raise vital funding for Chitter Chatter Clubs to help the lonely, they are in the gym, training too.

We'd love you to support these three remarkable young people, by donating through their GoFundMe page.

Click the link and cheer them on with your support.

https://gofund.me/47f18bf91
(P.S When it opens, look for the ‘tip % slider’ — simply move it to 0% if you want every penny of your gift to come to CCC rather than the website).

Can you help the next generation with a

1 minute survey please?

Why Your One‑Minute Survey Matters

Loneliness recovery is our priority — and sometimes we need to show the people above us that our voluntary programme truly works. When we gather simple, anonymous statistics, we’re able to evidence the need for proper support and show how much difference a safe, social space can make to people’s health and wellbeing.

Last year, CCC won the Social Care Institute for Excellence Impact Award, in Westminster and national organisations have already consulted with us about scaling up. They would love to see CCCs across the country — and it is achievable. Councils could easily grow these clubs one at a time by employing one passionate community lead and following the path we’ve already carved out.

Anne is willing to share the CCC story — the successes and the mistakes — so others can build their own clubs without the pain she went through learning everything the hard way.

To help us continue proving the impact of CCC, please take one minute to complete this short survey. Your answers help us protect the future of the club and show the real difference it makes.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NWKDDVG

Thank you for helping us evidence the need — and the hope — that CCC brings for today and future generations.

MAYBE, YOU NEED SOME SUPPORT RIGHT NOW

If you’re finding it hard to go out alone, you are not failing, you are not behind, and you are certainly not alone. We are so blessed across Dorset, there is gentle, friendly support that begins right where you are — even if that’s inside your home.

So, if you’re feeling ashamed or scared to ask for help, take a breath. You haven’t done anything wrong. You’re not a burden. You’re simply human — and humans get overwhelmed.
You don’t need to explain anything to anybody. You can just say:
“I’m finding things hard at the moment. I think I might need a bit of support.”
That one sentence is enough. Someone will meet you where you are and help you take the next step — even if that step is tiny.

Let me tell you a secret, that awful rugged shame the majority of us feel when we are lonely is a stereotype, created by Shakespeare, casting his solo characters as alone and shamed. It's rubbish. We were born alone, we live life alone, but when our soul needs human connection it triggers that painful emotion and it is screaming at you.

'You need human connection.'

There is nothing to be ashamed of, this is just a solo chapter. You never made this happen, you never planned for it.

Here are trusted organisations who can help:

BCP/ Dorset Council Social Prescribing (via your GP)
Ask your GP surgery for a link worker. They can offer: phone support
doorstep introductions confidence‑building steps gentle accompaniment to first activities

Help & Kindness (Dorset-wide directory)
Website: helpandkindness.co.uk
They connect people to: befriending calls home‑visiting volunteers local groups
emotional support

Age UK Dorset
Phone: 01305 269444
Website: ageuk.org.uk/dorset
They offer: telephone befriending home visits confidence‑building support
Dorset Mind
Phone: 01202 315329
Website: dorsetmind.uk
They support people experiencing:
• anxiety low confidence isolation emotional overwhelm

Prama Care -tel:01202207300

BCP Adult Social Care team -01202 023654

Dorset Council Adult Social Care Team -01305 221016

Phone any care home near you and ask if they have any activities that the public can join in. they all have coffee clubs each week.

Samaritans - 116 123

NHS 111

Two new Chitter Chatter Clubs are opening in June.
Lytchett Matravers at the Chequers Inn begins Monday 1st June, 11am.
Parkstone at The Grasshopper begins Thursday 4th June, 11am.

Everyone is welcome — drop in, stay as long as you like, and enjoy friendly company.

Walk to rid everyone of County Line's Drugs/exploitation of kids and elderly

Dorset's Newest High Sheriff - Helena Conibear DL's 2026 Challenge:

Standing Up for Dorset’s Safety

2026’s newest High Sheriff, Helena Conibear, is taking on a major fundraising challenge to help tackle the horrendous exploitation affecting people across Dorset — from young kids being used by organised crime groups, to elderly residents being cuckooed in their own homes.

Helena aims to raise £10,000 and will be walking the beautiful coastal route from Sandbanks to Christchurch on 5th or 6th August 2026 (final date to be confirmed).

This walk is more than a fundraiser — it is a public stand for safety, dignity, and community protection.

If you would like to join the Supporters List,

please get in touch with Anne [email protected]

Do it for your children.

Do it for your grandchildren.

Do it for Dorset.

❗ What Is County Lines? !

County Lines is a form of criminal exploitation where organised crime groups (OCGs) from larger cities expand their drug‑dealing operations into smaller towns, rural areas, and coastal communities.

Key points:

• A dedicated mobile phone “line” is used to take drug orders

• Children and young people are groomed, coerced, or threatened into transporting drugs, money, or weapons

• Vulnerable adults may be targeted, manipulated, or have their homes taken over — a tactic known as “cuckooing”

• Exploitation is often hidden, fast‑moving, and deeply damaging to individuals and communities

County Lines is not just a policing issue — it is a community safeguarding issue, and Dorset is coming together to push back.

Picture Taken at Kingston Marward

TOGETHERNESS in Nature every fourth Saturday of each month -NATURE WALKS

Anne’s Aim: A Simple Invitation on a Saturday afternoon 'Out of the House.'
Anne’s aim is beautifully simple: to help you get out of the house, see some beautiful natural sites that you've never seen before and make friends whilst reestablishing your sense of adventure. What you choose to do once we meet is entirely up to you. We just aim to get you out of the house on a weekend, every 4th Saturday of each month. We don’t take responsibility for you — you are in charge of every moment's curiosity and kindness.
No pressure. No expectations. Just a chance to be out, with others, in a way that feels safe and easy.

Brownsea Island, National Trust Gift - 3/6/2025. There are 2 places left - please book you space with Anne at [email protected]

May 2026 – Nature Day Out
Saturday 23rd May, 1pm
Meet at the bridge outside the Allendale Centre, Wimborne
Parking is cheaper at the far end of the car park.
Once we meet, the day is yours to shape. We might:
• enjoy a cuppa together
• have lunch
• take a short or long walk
• or wander to Wetherspoons for an early dinner
ONCE WE ARE OUT, WE STAY OUT!
Not in a strict way — in a joyful way.
A day to breathe, chat, wander, and simply be out in the world together.

ALL WELCOME!

Where we have enjoyed so far.

2023

6 May 2023 – Stanpit Marsh,

• 17 June 2023 – Christchurch Day Out

• 29 July 2023 – Poole Park

• 19 August 2023 – Hengistbury Head Walk

• 2 September 2023 – Christchurch Quay Day Out

• 6 October 2023 – Hengistbury Head Walk

• 17 November 2023 – Corfe Castle

• 27 December 2023 – Bournemouth Get‑Together

• 28 December 2023 – Christchurch Get‑Together

2024

• 2 January 2024 – Avon Causeway

• 2 March 2024 – Southbourne Beach

• 16 March 2024 – Throop Village Walk

• 27 May 2024 – Coy Pond (Bank Holiday)

• 22 June 2024 – Poole Park Walk

• 20 July 2024 – Swanage Day Out

• 10 August 2024 – Highcliffe Castle

• 23 August 2024 – Fireworks

• 21 September 2024 – Willett Arms

• 12 October 2024 – Hengistbury Head

• November 2024 – Corfe Castle

• December 2024 – Moon in the Square

2025

• January 2025 – Mudeford Walk

• February 2025 – Toby Carvery, Avon Causeway

• 8 February 2025 – 3‑Day Trip to Edinburgh

• March 2025 – Bluebells at Wimborne

• April 2025 – Alum Chine or Poole Quay

• May 2025 – Coy Pond Picnic (May Day)

• 29 May 2025 – Spyglass & Kettle

• June 2025 – Christchurch Quay

• July 2025 – Wimborne Farm

• August 2025 – Highcliffe Castle Nature Walk

• 26 September 2025 – Poole Park

• October 2025 – Stanpit Marsh

• 27 December 2025 – Kingfisher Barn / Spyglass & Kettle

• 30 December 2025 – Quay Pub, Poole Quay

2026

• 25 January 2026 – Avon Beach

• 22 February 2026 – Kingston Maurward & Thomas Hardy House

• 28 March 2026 – Hengistbury Head Hungry Hiker cafe 1pm

• 25 April 2026 – Obscura Café Bournemouth Square 1pm

• 23 May 2026 – Allendale Centre, Wimborne (River Walk) 1pm

• 3 June 2026 – Brownsea Island TBA

• 27 June 2026 – By the Way Field, Wimborne, 1pm

• 25 July 2026 – St Catherine’s Hill (Meet Sandy Lane, BH23 2NJ), Picnic 1pm

• 22 August 2026 – Avon Causeway Pub (Picnic/Meal) 1pm

• 26 September 2026 – Wootton Bridge (River walk, railway line, picnic, Rising Sun later) 1pm

• 24 October 2026 – Studland Beach (Chain ferry trip, picnic) 1pm

• 21 November 2026 – Coy Pond Walk (Picnic) 1pm

• 29 December 2026 – Christmas Meet‑Ups 1pm Spyglass and Kettle Walk and early dinner

1 in 4 British families are estranged from adult children today.

Across Britain, 1 in 4 families are now affected by estrangement from an adult child. It’s something Oprah has called a "growing phenomenon," as thousands of parents and grandparents gather in Facebook support groups every day trying to cope with the pain.
Some of our own CCC members are living through this heartbreak.
They didn’t choose it.
They didn’t cause it.
And they are not to blame.
So we ask everyone in CCC to treat each other with fairness and without judgement. You never know what someone is carrying when they sit down at a table.
If you are fortunate enough to have contact with your children or grandchildren, hold that blessing close. Be grateful for it. And spare a gentle thought for those who no longer hear from their own blood — their next of kin — and for the joy that silence has taken from their lives.

Watch Oprah's show

Oprah Explores the Rising Trend of Going No Contact with Your Family - YouTube

There are lots and lots of Facebook Groups, which will empower you no end.

type ESTRANGEMENT in the search bar or Rania Khazaal.

If you are a parent of estranged adult child/ren - just remember, for this chapter, the kids are choosing this.

If you have ever had a bad partner, it is because he/she was choosing to be bad.

We all choose our futures in every second and action we take. Be kind to yourself. You can turn your dark days into light, by the choices you make every second.

And if you don't know what to do...do what is right!

SPRING RAFFLE

CCC'S has been busy fundraising with our annual raffle.

48 prizes were collected from local businesses and

£218 was raised to provide vital funding to keep this loneliness recovery project outreaching and serving vulnerable guests.

All prizes should already have been distributed in all our clubs now, as

we drew the raffle on 15/4/2026

All prize winners were notified on the day.

Any questions, call Anne on 07986323789

We want to thank all our guests who contributed prizes, Marks and Spencers-Broadstone, Tesco Express Westbourne, Lyfehealth Westbourne, Westbourne Hardware, Griffs Butchers Broadstone, Oaks Highcliffe, Canford Hotel, Royal Hotel Weymouth, Marks and Spencers Westbourne, Tesco Express Verwood.

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Loneliness Brings Us Together, Not Apart

A Community Others Feel from the other side of the cafe/pub.
One of the most beautiful things about Chitter Chatter Club is that you don’t need long explanations to understand who we are. You can simply feel it — in the room, in the conversations, and yes, in the photos we take together.
It’s in the gentle hum of voices, the shared laughter, the quiet moments of understanding, and the way people naturally settle beside one another.

Everytime I walk through a cafe/pub, others always ask,

“What brings you all together?”
And the answer is always the same:
Empathy.

People need people — just like birds need birds and fish need fish.
We laugh, we chat, we tell our stories, and we enjoy one another’s company. It’s respectful. It’s honest. It’s human. WE CONNECT.
When people tell their stories, something remarkable happens. Hearts connect.
Ttuth connects— not as pixelated people on screens, but as real humans who see each other, hear each other, and value every word. Every minute spent together strengthens individual confidence, restores hope, and reminds us that we are not meant to walk through life alone.
Our diverse community is made up of every age, every ability, every gender, every culture, every religion, every background. And somehow, under this empathic umbrella, we become one family — a bright, warm gathering in a dark world under the threat of terror
If you want to understand the heart of CCC, read 'Our Journeys Through Loneliness' and h ear from guests written memoirs of why, then of hope and resilience through their loneliness storms.

https://www.thechitterchatterclub.co.uk/product-page/our-journeys-through-loneliness-unsigned

You’ll see how lives are being rebuilt, how confidence is returning, and how hope is multiplying — quietly, gently, beautifully.
This is why CCC coffee clubs matter, to help you rebuild in safe, friendly, welcoming meets

Why This Book Matters

This book reminds people that loneliness isn’t a personal failure — it’s a phase, and phases can change. Through shared stories and gentle truths, readers discover that isolation isn’t a cure, silence isn’t protection, and hiding doesn’t heal.

It shows how dignity and connection can be restored one life at a time, and it makes one quiet promise: loneliness will never be allowed to shame you out of living your life.

Everything becomes lighter when it’s shared — and this book helps people take that first brave step toward community.

To get your copy click on

https://www.thechitterchatterclub.co.uk/product-page/our-journeys-through-loneliness-unsigned

Loneliness Together Chitter Chatter Club CIC 15685873

Northmead House, Northmead Road, Poole , BH17 7RP

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