Abi Johnson was a newcomer to Sandford-on-Thames when she and others started up Talking Shop.

With small children, she found it wasn’t easy to meet other people.  There was no school, no shop, no post office – the places where one can usually go to find that faces become familiar people and then friends. People were isolated from each other by the lack of resources.

 

A small group of mums to young children started to explore the idea of setting up a shop, somewhere convenient that people would bump into each other.  They went door-to-door chatting about it, the team grew, and with 21 volunteers they started up the weekly market and café from the village hall in April 2011. Talking Shop’s Saturday mornings quickly became a part of the community’s routine – good coffee, bacon sandwiches and a hugely warm welcome.  Talking Shop has run the market & café almost every Saturday since.

 

Talking Shop’s volunteers come from all around Sandford – including Abingdon and Rose Hill. There are about 60 volunteers, aged 9 to 80+ with all kinds of histories and work experiences. Lots of differences and a powerful shared belief: that it is important (and fun) to make space and time for people to get together, to support and to learn from each other.

 

And now, very exciting times! Talking Shop now has a permanent home in the new village hall extension.

 

They want to open a new Talking Shop during the week (a kitchen, community café, shop & garden) and to build a community food programme –growing, cooking and eating together.

 

But they need more people to make it happen.

 

You can give as much or as little time as you want to. You can fit it around childcare (if needed), you’ll meet new people, you’ll make new friends, and you’ll get opportunities to learn and develop new skills and confidence.

 

Find out more (over tea and cakes) at Talking Shop’s pop-up cafés on Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th March from 10am to 12pm, or Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th March from 2pm to 4pm. There will be people to speak to in the Talking Shop space at the village hall, Henley Road, Sandford-on-Thames, OX4 4YN.

 

Or pop into the market in the village hall on Saturdays from 9am to 12pm, or get in touch anytime: call 07989 503657 / email contacts.talkingshop@gmail.com

 

Abi Johnson, Chair of Talking Shop