Providing support
to the local community
to the local community
We are delighted to announce that Ashford & Tenterden Umbrella has received support from a number of generous funders over recent months. Their contributions will help us continue providing vital mental health and social support services for local people experiencing loneliness, isolation and poor mental health.
As a small local charity, this funding makes a significant difference. It enables us to maintain and develop activities that help people build confidence, make social connections and improve their mental wellbeing.
Recent funding received
The impact of this support
Thanks to this funding, we can continue delivering our weekly Chatty Café sessions, supported Out & About trips and creative wellbeing classes, reaching more than 150 local people each year.
Many of the people who attend our services live alone or have limited opportunities for social contact. These activities provide not only practical support but also a sense of belonging and connection within the community.
A heartfelt thank you
On behalf of everyone at Ashford & Tenterden Umbrella, we would like to say a sincere thank you to all of our recent funders and supporters. Your generosity is helping local people feel less isolated, improve their mental wellbeing and stay connected to their community.
We look forward to sharing more updates about the positive difference this funding is making over the coming months.
Thank you for supporting mental health and community connection in Ashford and Tenterden.
Thank you to South East Water for choosing Ashford & Tenterden Umbrella to receive funding from their Community Chest Fund. Read more here
Ashford and Tenterden Umbrella has joined The Chatty Cafe Scheme - reducing loneliness to get people chatting!
Look out for the 'Chatter & Natter table' on Tuesdays from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm beginning 18th March 2025 at The Parish Rooms, The Churchyard, Ashford, Kent TN23 1QG.
The Chatty Café is a great way of encouraging people to talk to others. The scheme is the brainchild of Alexandra Hoskyn, who founded it after a miserable day at a supermarket café with her infant son, where she noticed that no one was talking to each other. She found that by simply putting ‘Chatter & Natter’ signs on tables in cafes it created a space for people to talk.
A Chatter & Natter table brings people together and everyone is invited!
Who can join in?
Anyone... if you're on your own, in a couple, with a friend, if you're a carer why not sit there with who you care for, mums and babies, dads and babies, grandparents and babies, young people, older people and anyone in between! It’s a great way to meet new people in your community.
What do I do?
When you are deciding where to sit, look for the Chatter & Natter table and sit there! Stay for five minutes while you have your drink or longer. It’s not about making life-long friends, just having good old fashioned human interaction!
It's official! The Chatty Cafe Scheme is reducing loneliness and social isolation by getting people chatting! Coventry University have published their May 2022 initial report and the key findings are that 100% of Chatter & Natter table users said it made them feel less lonely and socially isolated, plus, 97% of venues feel that the Chatter & Natter tables are encouraging community spirit. The Chatty Café Scheme commented that, “The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted those experiencing loneliness and we know that simply having a chat can brighten someone’s day.”
We will be closed for a short summer break. We will be closed Tuesday, 20th August and will reopen on Tuesday, 3rd September. We apologise for the inconvenience, but hope to see you again when we reopen.
On Wednesday 17th July, Ashford & Tenterden Umbrella opened its doors to the wider local community as part of the Ashford Food & Drink Festival.
Thank you to everyone who made and brought along their special recipes. There were some mouthwatering dishes, lots of chatter, and we are sure some new connections were made. Thanks also to Willow and Green for your help and support.
You can share your Keepsake recipe with others here.
You can help to support Ashford & Tenterden Umbrella when you shop online with Easyfundraising. If you’d like to help our charity, you can sign up and every time you shop with one of their partners, they will donate part of what you spend to a cause of your choice.
Sign up to support us by clicking on the image below. It won’t cost you any extra. The cost is covered by the brand, and there are over 7,000 brands to choose from!
We were recently lucky enough to have a team of lovely volunteers from NFU Mutual Ashford, Tenterden & Whitfield join us for the day to help with fundraising, activities, and tidying up our messy store cupboard! Thank you all, we are always grateful for your support.
We are continuing to run our free art class for adults every Thursday between 11am and 1pm at the Parish Rooms, Ashford. The sessions are delivered by arts charity In A Space. There are different projects each week, or bring your own along if your prefer. There is no need to book, and everyone is welcome.
Our Grand Christmas Raffle has now been drawn, and all of the winners have been contacted. Thank you to everyone who bought tickets and a huge thank you to all of our supporters who donated over £1000 worth of prizes in total. With your help, we raised over £600 for our charity, which will go directly to helping the people we support in our local community.
