How our Saturday Coffee & Social Group is creating friendship, confidence and belonging.
Every Saturday at St George’s Church in Ashtead, people come together for coffee, conversation, activities and, most importantly, connection.
The group launched as a pilot in May 2025. Since then, it has grown in to a valued and welcoming community, with a regular core of attendees and numbers continuing to increase as word spreads.
It was designed with the people who attend, rather than simply for them. MFT facilitators work alongside attendees to shape sessions around their interests, including our popular Round Robin Time, where everyone has the opportunity to contribute to the conversation.
The sessions are deliberately informal. There is no pressure to register with MFT or access any other service. People can simply come along, have a coffee and be part of the community.
More than coffee & conversation
For many people, Saturdays can be particularly difficult. Other services may be closed, routines can disappear and opportunities to connect can be limited.
Our group provides a consistent, welcoming space where people can build relationships and feel less alone.
And the impact extends beyond Saturday mornings. Attendees are developing genuine friendships and informal support networks, checking in on one another between sessions and offering practical help and encouragement.
We’ve seen people who initially struggled to engage become more confident in contributing to discussions and trying new activities. For some, the group has provided a stepping stone in to wider community life, with attendees going on to join other local groups and activities.
The group is also a place where people who may find social situations or communication difficult can feel accepted and supported. The patience and kindness shown by fellow attendees helps create a genuine sense of belonging.
A trusted gateway to support
Where someone identifies a need, our facilitators can offer guidance and signpost them to appropriate services and community organisations. This creates opportunities for early intervention, helping people access support before difficulties escalate.
We monitor attendance and engagement, record signposting and gather feedback and testimonials. Alongside these measures, the everyday changes we see – increased confidence, new friendships and greater participation – tell an important story about the group’s impact.
Three more years of connection
We are delighted that The Borrows Charitable Trust Fund, via the Community Foundation for Surrey, has awarded us funding to support the Saturday Coffee & Social Group for the next 3 years. This funding is vital to the group’s future.
Without their support, we would struggle to continue providing this weekly space for connection and support. Their generous and forward-thinking multi-year funding gives us the stability to keep reaching people who may otherwise be isolated. What happens each Saturday may look simple – a cup of coffee, a chat, a welcome – but for the people who attend, it can mean so much more.
Together, we are turning lonely Saturdays into opportunities for connection, friendship and belonging. We are incredibly grateful to The Borrows Charitable Trust Fund and the Community Foundation for Surrey for helping us make that possible.
“This group has helped me so much to move forward with my life and still is!.”
