Chatty Café Host, Meadowbank, Auckland (Tues and/or Thursdays, 1 hour a week)

Chatty Café NZ is a nationwide initiative of GrandFriends NZ that aims to reduce loneliness and strengthen community connection.

Our participating venues host designated Chatty Tables, welcoming spaces where people can sit down, enjoy a conversation and connect with others in their community.

Friendly volunteers help create a warm, inclusive atmosphere and make it easy for people to join in.

Following successful programmes in the UK and Australia, Chatty Café NZ launched here in June and now has 40 tables running nationwide.

About this role

We are looking for one or two volunteer hosts for this table that operates on Tuesday & Thursday mornings from 10am - 11am. You can choose one session or both.

One hour a week, same time each week. That is the whole commitment.

As a Chatty Café Host you will:

• Welcome people to the Chatty Table
• Help start and guide friendly conversations
• Make sure nobody who turns up is left sitting on their own
• Create a safe and inclusive environment
• Encourage connection between people of different backgrounds and generations
• Send us a short note after each session on how it went

Ideal for someone earlier in their career

An evening slot works well around study, work or family, and this is genuinely useful experience to have on a CV or a university application. In one hour a week you will be practising the things employers ask about and most people struggle to give examples of:

• Communication and interpersonal skills, with people of all ages and backgrounds
• Initiative, because you are the one starting the conversation
• Reliability, showing up at the same time every week for a community you are accountable to
• Community and volunteer service, formally recognised, with a named referee
• Working with a partner, if you host as a pair

We are happy to provide a written reference for any host who has been with us for three months or more, and to confirm your volunteer hours in writing. It counts towards Duke of Edinburgh and similar service requirements, and it sits well on a CV precisely because it is small, regular and easy to talk about in an interview.

Hosting with a friend

You are very welcome to apply as a pair, and for this table we would honestly prefer it. Two of you means a quiet week is still an enjoyable one, and a table with two people already chatting at it is much easier for a nervous newcomer to join than an empty one. You would also cover each other for holidays and exams.

Applying on your own is completely fine too, and we can look at pairing you with another local volunteer.

Who we are looking for

No previous experience is required. We are looking for people who are:

• Friendly and approachable
• Good listeners
• Reliable and community-minded
• Comfortable talking with people from all walks of life
• Passionate about helping others feel connected and included

Important information

• This is a volunteer (unpaid) role, one hour per week
• Weekday, one hour to be decided with venue.
• Training, resources, a lanyard and ongoing support are provided
• All volunteers are police vetted as part of onboarding
• You are welcome to apply individually or as a pair

Ready to get involved?

To register your interest, visit the Chatty Café NZ website and complete the Volunteer Sign-Up form. Simply search "Chatty Café NZ" online and click Volunteer Sign Up from the menu.

Once you have submitted the form, you will receive further information about the role, training, onboarding and next steps.

Thank you for helping us create more connected communities across New Zealand.

The Chatty Café NZ Team