A local bus company, East Yorkshire, is bringing back its Chatty Bus initiative which will visit Beverley this month.
The Chatty Bus promotes local communication and social inclusion with the support of Age UK HEY (Hull and East Yorkshire).
During the next four months, teams from all three businesses will be roaming the streets of Hull, Brough, Beverley and Cottingham as ‘Chatty Ambassadors’ willing to chat with anyone. Anyone who’s interested in using their devices to connect with people far away, or finding out what local groups, events, and services are available to them in their area, is welcome to join us for a natter with a cuppa.
Chatty Bus will return to Beverley on 15 March between 8.30am and 4pm at Beverley Market, followed by Brough on 19 April, Cottingham on 18 May, and Hull on 14 June. Everyone is welcome to come along, talk with the team, and learn more about how they can stay connected.
East Yorkshire’s Head of Commercial, Stuart Fillingham, said: “We’re excited to be bringing back our Chatty Buses to the streets of the region.
“Here at East Yorkshire, we’re passionate about connecting people, whether that’s with their favourite places or their favourite people. That’s why we’re bringing back our Chatty Bus campaign: to give people across the region the chance to come, have a cup of tea and a chat with the team, and learn more about the services and initiatives that are available in their local areas.”
Neil Bartholomew, Managing Director KCOM Retail, said: “The Chatty Bus is a great initiative to be involved with that lets us connect with people right across the region. This time especially our ambassadors will be able to talk to people about how the upgrade of our old copper phone network to full fibre will affect them – and give out useful advice on what they need to do to keep their landlines connected.”
Age UK’s CEO, Andy Haynes, said: “Working with East Yorkshire and partnering with KCOM on the “Chatty Bus” is an excellent way to connect directly into the communities we all serve across Hull and East Yorkshire. The chatty bus visits enable Age UK to spend time “chatting” with people, increasing their awareness of how we can help them or those they may care for, as well as sharing about opportunities to get involved in supporting our work. So when you do see that the chatty bus is going to be nearby then do come and say hello and learn some more about our work.”
You can find more information on East Yorkshire and the Chatty Bus initiative at eastyorkshirebuses.co.uk, as well as resources that can help people who feel lonely and isolated.
Visit ageuk.org.uk/hull or call 01482 324644 for more information about the services Age UK HEY offers (including its befriender service).
