Creating Quiet Connections in Truro
Creating Quiet Connections at New MeetUp in Truro
Quiet Connections held the first of its new weekly meetups yesterday, bringing together people who consider themselves to be quieter in Truro.
Every Monday from 4:00-6:00pm, Quieteers will be coming together at Colours Cafe and Wellbeing Centre in a comfortable space where it’s okay to talk and it’s okay to be quiet too, so that they can gently connect in their own way and at their own pace.
Some people attend because they consider themselves more introverted and are looking to meet like-minded people, while others may experience social anxiety and want the opportunity to begin connecting with others in a safe space where people understand what it’s like to feel this way.
Michele Cheesman, who leads the Quiet Meetup in Truro, knows what it’s like to feel socially anxious and does everything she can to ease any anxieties someone might have before joining, including offering to chat with anyone thinking about attending by phone or email beforehand to answer any questions and give reassurance, or arranging to meet a new participant outside of Colours Cafe before the meetup begins to help anyone who needs that support feel more comfortable about joining.
“I know it’s sometimes a massive achievement for someone to leave their home and attend their first meet up, and there are no expectations of anyone when they join. Just be yourself and enjoy sharing space and connecting in a way that feels good to you. If that means sitting back and observing, or quietly doing some crochet, colouring or even reading a book, that’s absolutely welcomed” Michele says.
Truro is the seventh location for Quiet Connections’ Weekly MeetUps, which are funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, joining Helston, Falmouth, Hayle, Redruth, St Austell and Liskeard.
Quiet Meetup participant, Emily, says “I felt nervous before attending since it’s quite hard for me to meet new people and confidently engage with them, but that expectation seemed to drop when I was there with like-minded people. I felt completely comfortable since I could go at my own pace, and there’s no pressure to talk or do anything at all, so I was able to just listen to others talking at first. I found the colouring very helpful so I had something to do with my hands too, and I soon joined a conversation. I’m really looking forward to more Quiet MeetUps!”
Michele continues “over time, as people learn more about each other and realise something that they all have in common, they become closer and more connected. To me, there’s nothing better than being able to find a new like-minded buddy to comfortably chat and share with in life.”
You can find out more about Quiet Connections MeetUps at: www.quietconnections.co.uk/meetups
Ends
Contact
Michele Cheesman
michele@quietconnections.co.uk
Pictures are available upon request.
Notes to Editors:
About Quiet Connections
We are a Community Interest Company based in Cornwall working with and for people who consider themselves to be more introverted, highly sensitive, or experiencing social anxiety. Through framing quiet in a positive light and facilitating meaningful connections and pathways to contributing in ways that honour quieter natures, we aim to create ripple effects of wellbeing for people with quieter temperaments so that they can share their gifts to help create a more curious, compassionate and connected world.
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About The National Lottery Community Fund
We are the largest community funder in the UK – we’re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Since June 2004, we have made over 200,000 grants and awarded over £9 billion to projects that have benefited millions of people.
We are passionate about funding great ideas that matter to communities and make a difference to people’s lives. At the heart of everything we do is the belief that when people are in the lead, communities thrive. Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, our funding is open to everyone. We’re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life.
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