“You lot have brought confidence back in me”
John was dealing with a deep sadness after difficult circumstances. After encountering Chat Central at an event in the city, he decided to join in with a group volunteering activity, litter picking, and from then his journey with Chat Central began.
He quickly made friends in the group, and as he got to know the staff better, he began to open up about what had brought him to Chat Central. After 26 years of a very happy marriage, John’s wife sadly passed away in 2020. As a couple, they had volunteered together at University Hospital Coventry — his wife on the welcome desk and John supporting patients alongside the hospital porters. John described the impact of losing his wife: “It was really bad, really sad. It was hard. The flat still feels very empty without her. I was feeling lonely and down.”
Having taken the first step with the litter pick, John was then eager to experience everything that Chat Central had to offer. From wellbeing sessions and Bands in the Park to regular history group meetings, photography talks, choir workshops, and pool meet-ups at Rileys, there was nothing John wasn’t willing to try.
As part of the Heritage Open Days, John attended a visit to Holy Trinity Church with Chat Central. John said though he’d lived in Coventry all his life, but had never stepped inside the church. He added: “When I heard there was a concert that night I thought I’d go along. It was great listening to the old medieval music. That Sunday I joined the church to see what the service was like. Since then, I’ve been going every week and have helped with the Harvest Festival. Now, I help with the drinks too and collecting the books. I like going there, everyone’s friendly.”
Chat Central’s engagement officer Celia Monaghan mentioned that she can’t recall another participant who has embraced the project and all it offers with such enthusiasm. She explained: “Here at Chat Central we have cultivated a friendly and inclusive welcome where participants can come to meet new people, get involved in new activities, try out something different to boost their confidence and find a greater community connection.”
Through Chat Central connections, John took part and helped out with the ‘Dame Goodyver Daye’ celebrations (the organisers have even booked John to help out again next year!); and thanks to a volunteering session with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust’s ‘River Festiva’l, John has now become now a regular volunteer with the Friends of Lakeview Park, who look after the nature and community who come to visit the park.
Looking back on his journey with Chat Central, John reflected on his experiences with Celia recently, saying, “You lot have brought confidence back in me. My life is a lot better. Chat Central has helped me make new friends and they’ve taken me to lots of events. I’ve got involved with so many projects and now I’m looking at going onto a new course. It’s made me less lonely and a lot happier. It’s made me more confident. Now I can talk to people about everything I’m doing.”
Huge thanks to John for sharing his story with us, and for all his contributions to life in Coventry! We hope this will inspire others to ‘Get Involved’ with community action too.
There are many ways to Get Involved:
If you’d like to get involved with community activities, giving time through volunteering or contributing your skills then browse the opportunities here – we look forward to meeting you! Just click the button to find out more
Chat Central SIX meet-ups and activities happening in December
Improving Lives Our supported volunteering course, new FREE courses starting in January, enrol now!
