BNC Hosts Full House for Community Cuppa

In its first iteration earlier this year, the Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre's Community Cuppa, then called the End Loneliness Morning Tea, saw just one person show up. A name change, word of mouth, and a couple of months later, the organisation last week played host to a full house of over 50 attendees, all bonding over the simplicity of friendly, lighthearted conversation.

From 10am on Thursday, 4 December, the BNC invited members from the Burdekin community, as well as visitors from Townsville who made the trip specifically for the event, to gather over food, conversation and good company for its Christmas-themed Community Cuppa.

For hours, attendees found themselves engrossed in conversation with faces familiar and foreign, sparking not only chatter, but new friendships. This, for BNC Community Development Officer Maddy Darley, is the exact essence of the monthly gathering—a platform for locals and visitors alike to unwind and connect.

“We don’t have an agenda. There’s not a topic. It’s just come and join in,” she said. “There was vibrant conversation on every table, and every one was so different.”

Darley was thrilled to see diversity among the crowd of attendees, with people living alone, residents brought in from the aged care home, and those simply looking for connection all sharing the morning together.

“Everyone can come along, share a recipe, share a story, bring a plate if you want, although that's not a requirement. You can just bring yourself and conversation,” Darley said.

Attendance has risen each month since its inception, with the BNC receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community about its Community Cuppa initiative.

If you're interested in attending next month's Community Cuppa, please contact the BNC on (07) 4783 4243. No attendee has to tick any boxes. Just show up, eat, disagree over whether jam or cream goes first, and leave knowing at least one person listened.

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