The Rural Coffee Caravan has existed since 2003 to help rurally isolated people in Suffolk access services and information to improve their lives, health and wellbeing and to bring people together, empowering and strengthening rural communities. We work to alleviate loneliness and social isolation by providing occasions that engender conversations and connections, leading to people feeling more a part of their community. This is a free service that is accessible to everyone.

Our core visits combine a social focus with a free pop-up community cafe/information centre, offering support alongside the chance to meet and talk with fellow residents in the same situation. We connect useful agencies/ initiatives with rural communities, helping to bring services and free activities out to rurally isolated residents.

We also address loneliness across Suffolk via a number of offshoot initiatives we have developed:

MeetUpMondays is a network of 50+ pubs and cafes across the county hosting free weekly coffee mornings, offering consistent, regular opportunities for folk on their own to build confidence and grow their social connections in an everyday setting without feeling labelled as lonely.

c-a-f-e (coffee and friends events) network connects Suffolk community groups and social clubs with resources to help strengthen their groups, develop their community spaces and make them more sustainable.

More Than A Shop acknowledges and celebrates the vital role that Suffolk’s rural stores play in alleviating loneliness, as lifelines and places of friendship.

Golden Age Fairs & Wellness Walk Ins. Each event hosts agencies and local clubs under one roof, providing individuals with the chance to link directly into services that improve their health and wellbeing, and the opportunity to join local clubs that help them feel more involved in their community.