FAQs

No. There’s no sign-up, no booking and no list. Find an event on Find an Event, turn up and look for the host wearing orange.

No. Empty Chairs is free and there’s no expectation that you buy food or drink while you’re there.

Yes, and most people do. Empty Chairs is built around arriving alone. If the people at the table already seem to know each other, you’re still welcome to take a chair - that’s the entire point of leaving them empty.

No. You can join straight in, listen for a while, or mostly sit quietly. There are no introductions to get through and no activities. Nobody will ask you why you came.

Anything. Football, work, telly, the local area, what they did that week. Conversations don’t have to be about loneliness or mental health, though sometimes people do talk about things that matter to them.

As long or as short as you like. Five minutes is fine, and you don’t need to make anything of leaving. Hosts commit to staying at the table for at least an hour, so arriving a bit late is fine too.

The host will still be there. Sometimes a table is busy, sometimes it’s two people having a chat. Both count.

Yes. Bring a friend or a family member if that makes it easier to walk through the door.

Anyone under 18 needs to come with an adult aged 18 or over. Many tables are in pubs, which may have their own rules about under-18s on the premises.

It varies - tables are in ordinary pubs, cafes and community spaces rather than venues we control. The event listing names the venue so you can check it directly, and if you’d like us to ask the host about a specific venue, email [email protected].

Cancelled tables stay on Find an Event marked as cancelled, so it’s worth checking there before you set off. That listing is the most up to date thing we have.

Turn up when you said you would, wear orange so you’re easy to find, welcome whoever joins you and let the conversation happen. Stay at least an hour, even if nobody has arrived yet. There’s no programme to run.

No. Hosts aren’t therapists, counsellors or mental health professionals, and they’re not expected to be. What matters is turning up, being kind and noticing when someone needs bringing into the conversation.

As much or as little as you like - you pick your own venue and times. The one thing that isn’t flexible is turning up to an event once it’s listed. Someone may have spent days working up to coming.

Apply through the host page. One of the team will get in touch - keep an eye on your spam folder - and you’ll agree the details of your first table together.

No. We only ever share a host’s first name. We also ask hosts not to swap private contact details with attendees - if someone wants to come back, that should happen at another public Empty Chairs table.

Listen, be kind, and don’t feel you need the perfect answer. You’re not there to diagnose anyone, fix anything or take responsibility for someone’s wellbeing. If someone needs specialist or crisis support, point them towards it - and if anyone is in immediate danger, call 999.

Wonderful - tell us about it on the Friendly Venues page and we’ll add you to the list local hosts look at. There’s no cost and no obligation.

A table with a few spare seats, at a time that isn’t your busiest. The best rooms are warm and not so loud that people have to shout. That’s it.

No. Empty Chairs is a non-profit company limited by guarantee, not a registered charity. We may look at charity registration in future, but we didn’t want to rush that decision just to be able to use the word. How Empty Chairs is run explains it properly.

How we use money sets out where it comes from and what it’s spent on.

Empty Chairs Ltd, a non-profit company registered in England and Wales, company number 17342703, at 27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX. It started with one person, one table and a friend called Rob - our story has the rest.

Orders are printed, sold and posted by T-Shirt Studio, so they hold your order and handle returns and refunds. Their details are on your order confirmation. If you’ve tried them and got stuck, email us and we’ll chase it for you.

No. Empty Chairs is not therapy, counselling or a crisis service, and our hosts are volunteers rather than professionals. You never need to be going through anything in particular to come along.

Samaritans are open 24 hours a day on 116 123. The call is free, and you don’t have to be suicidal to ring them - they will talk to anyone who is struggling. We’re volunteers and can’t offer crisis help or reply out of hours.

Please tell us at [email protected]. That inbox is read separately and treated as a priority. Tell us what you saw, where and when, and how to reach you - you can ask to stay anonymous. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999 first.

Our privacy page explains what we hold and why. To get a copy, correct it or have it deleted, write to [email protected]. You don’t need to give a reason and it’s free.