'Communications Café' Helping Service Users Stay Connected

Thursday 3rd July 2025

Our Community Neurological Rehabilitation Service runs a popular initiative known as the Communications Café, which continues to go from strength to strength.

The group meets every Tuesday on Microsoft Teams, with an additional monthly catch-up at a local café. Carers are warmly invited to join, whether to chat with one another, take a break, or simply relax. Many participants have been attending weekly for over two years, creating a strong sense of connection and community.

The café’s flexible format, both online and in-person, has made it accessible and inclusive, helping it to flourish.

New members are always welcome and are supported by our Speech and Language Therapy team, Assistants, and Peer Partners (individuals with lived experience of communication changes). The group helps build communication confidence while tackling social isolation in a warm, supportive environment.

The initiative was recently recognised with an award for ‘Co-production with service user partners and their families’ by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy Awards—an achievement the team is incredibly proud of.

To learn more about the Community Neurological Rehabilitation Service, including the café, visit The Neuro Recovery College - Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (see the leaflet on page 10).