Conversation Café

Conversation Cafés – Yor Community Wellbeing Hubs

Conversation Cafés are held monthly at the Yor Community Wellbeing Hubs, alternating between our two hubs in the city at Clarence Street and Acomb Garth. Firstly (and most importantly!) there’s always plenty of refreshments, sandwiches and cake available.

The sessions usually bring together around 15–20 people. We sit in a circle and have open, facilitated discussions focused on three key topics relating to the Yor Community Wellbeing Hubs. These conversations are led by the Co-Production Champion, Ben, and are designed to be inclusive, respectful and honest.

Sometimes we break into smaller groups to explore particular questions in more depth, depending on how many people attend. We sometimes tackle tricky or challenging subjects, but we always approach these with kindness and respect. While the discussions are meaningful, we also keep the space as light, friendly and enjoyable.

Questions are shared a week before the session so that no one feels put on the spot and everyone has time to reflect beforehand. Everyone has an equal opportunity to share their views, because every perspective matters. If you’d prefer not to speak, that’s absolutely okay too.

We understand that group settings don’t work for everyone. If you would rather share your thoughts in a different way, Ben also offers one-to-one conversations about changes you’d like to see at the Yor Community Wellbeing Hubs, as well as opportunities to get involved in smaller co-production working groups. If you would like more information about these options, please contact Ben directly.

If at any point during a session you feel overwhelmed, staff are always on hand to offer support.

Expenses

Expenses for the day will be covered (i.e. travel/parking/childcare) and there will be forms on the day which you can fill out to cover these.

Parking

There is parking directly across the road from 30 Clarence Street at Union Terrace Car Park (Clarence St, York YO31 7ES)

What should I wear/bring?

Please wear whatever you feel comfortable in - this is not a formal event, and we want you to feel at ease. There is no need to bring anything other than yourself!

Refreshments

Refreshments and lunch will be available on the day. Please email Ben Hutchinson ([email protected]) if you have any dietary requirements.

Additional Needs

If you have any additional needs which you would like to let us know about, please do let us know and we will do our very best to accomodate for them.

If you have any further questions, you can email [email protected], or call 01904 621133 and ask for Ben, who will be happy to help.