Meet Gypsy the Support Cat at the Yack Chat Cafe!

7 July 2025

Gypsy the Support Cat accompanies her person on their first time visit to the Yack Chat Cafe

In February 2025, the Yackandandah Community Centre launched the first Yack Chat Café as part of the Connecting Community in Upper Hume Project - Phase 2. This initiative aims to connect people to social activities, provide a community café, and promote the project through 'sign posters'—individuals or organizations in touch with community members who may be disconnected or isolated, such as health providers, libraries, hairdressers, and community groups.

Jane Murphy, Manager of the Yackandandah Community Centre, stated, "The project aligns with one of the strategic pillars of YCC, connecting people with opportunities, where we aim to create a sense of belonging for everyone’. Not only has there been an influx of new people to town post-COVID who feel disconnected, but feedback from community members indicated that people didn’t want to commit to an organization or pay a membership; they wanted easy access and informal community catch-up options."

The Yack Chat Café offers community members the chance to join community connector volunteers and others for a relaxed, informal chat. No booking is required—just drop into the café for a cuppa. Some weeks, visitors from community groups or services attend, allowing participants to learn about what they offer. A regular 'What’s On' flyer is also available to keep everyone informed about activities in and around the town.

Held once a week for one hour in a commercial café location, the Yack Chat Café is hosted by a YCC Project Officer and volunteers. Several local partnerships have been developed to guide relevant people to the café, including the Council library, pharmacy, hairdressers, GP, and local community groups. These partnerships have helped reach the target audience directly through trusted sources familiar with individual circumstances.

The centre uses various marketing platforms to reach the target audience, such as social media, newsprint, and posters on noticeboards around town and in shop windows. Announcements on the local FM community radio station have also been crucial to the café's success. Once the café commenced, word of mouth proved to be a powerful promotional method. Editorial articles in the local newspaper (Yackity Yak) showcasing Community Connector volunteers and advertising the program have also been very successful.

Capturing stories or testimonials about why participants attend and the impact on an individual level has been essential to increasing engagement. "We have uncovered a hidden need in the Yackandandah community. There have been over 100 attendances by more than 20 people in the first couple of months of café operation. Many people who live alone have been connected to others in the community. Some participants are now meeting separately from the Yack Chat Café for further connectedness. These separate meet-ups involve walking or a cuppa," said Penny Preferment, Project Officer.

The café has also attracted carers who feel comfortable bringing along their partners with dementia, thanks to the relaxed, open, and informative space created by the café hosts. The sharing of knowledge, history, and ideas—such as how to recycle smoke alarms, distribution of AED location maps in Yackandandah, and information about local events—has further enriched the community experience.