Signposting over coffee can be simple

John* was catching up with his work mate Martin* over coffee when Martin shared that he had just broken up with his girlfriend, the first one he had since his marriage ended the year prior.

Martin went on to express to John that he was feeling a bit worried now about becoming lonely, as he was finding it difficult to meet new people and ‘get out there’ to socialise.

John felt concern when he heard Martin say this and really wanted to help somehow, and it only took a moment for him to recognise that this was exactly the type of situation that his Wellby Signposter training was designed for, and he remembered that he even had some Wellby cards tucked in his wallet.

He explained to Martin that the way he was feeling is quite normal for someone who just went through a major life transition, in this case the ending of important relationships, both his marriage and now his new girlfriend.

John handed Martin a Wellby card and told him about the Talking Cafés being held around the community as well as the online Found Directory of local community groups and services. He encouraged Martin to check out both as they may be able to help him connect with new people - that's exactly what they are for.

Martin was very appreciative of this support and gladly took the information John offered but now wanted to chat about sport, a more comfortable topic for him. John was happy to switch topics as well, and he felt good about being able to give Martin some leads on how to find connection in his community.

* Names have been changed to protect privacy