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Cuppa & Chat

Start your volunteering by facilitating casual meet ups at cafes with others living with bipolar! 

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What's Cuppa & Chat?

Our Cuppa & Chat event is an informal meet up with others living with bipolar at a coffee shop or cafe of your choosing. The aim is to help build community with others who have shared experiences. The event could be held in any convenient part of the city and just be for casual conversation or to share special interests such as visual arts or Hibs football. Overall, it's a great way of starting your facilitator journey and of meeting others with bipolar.

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Why should I volunteer?

If you feel like you would like to do more to help others with bipolar, then this is a great way to start for several reasons:

  • The event is manageable in scale with up to 5 attendees only and is held in a public space such as a café.
  • The schedule is your own. You can set up meet-ups where and when it suits you. We just ask that you give 7 days notice so we can list your event on our calendar.
  • You will NOT need to complete a PVG application. Although some of the people that attend might be classed as protected adults, you are with them in a public space.
  • You will meet with Michelle first to chat about pointers that will help increase your knowledge and confidence.
  • Volunteering improves your overall wellbeing and may help you make connections and friendships along the way.

Can I reserve slots for regular attendees?

Of course you can! One of the main aims of volunteering is to help people make lasting connections and to create a sense of community. 

When you submit your Cuppa & Chat event to us, there are up to four slots where you can enter the names and email addresses of anyone who indicated they would like to come back. Please make sure you confirm the date and time the person plans to attend before submitting their name. No-shows deprive others of a potential meet-up and it's important to be sensitive not to exclude others in attendance. When we post your Cuppa & chat meet-up on our website, we will immediately register the names you have given us and they will receive an email confirming details. 

You should always leave one slot free for new people to join. If you have a group of 5 people that has connected well and is happy as a group, then success! You don't need us to list it as an event any more. You are now friends who meet for coffee! If you do end up as a filled event, then we hope you will consider volunteering for another group or activity with us and we hope you will have enjoyed volunteering and making new connections.

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How do I schedule events?

Great news. It's easy.

  • There's an online form you complete giving 7 days notice with details of where and when you'll run the meet-up. When you submit your event, you can decide whether to include your first name or not in the event title. For example "Cuppa & chat with Fiona" or without. If in doubt, leave it out.

  • We will upload the details onto our website's event calendar that allows a maximum of 5 people to RSVP.

  • 24-hours before your event, an administrator will send you a list of people who have signed-up.

  • We will provide you with a small sign, lanyard, and badge to help people locate you at the meeting point.