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Empty Chairs

For Hosts

Host Agreement

Thank you for your interest in being a Host with Empty Chairs. We really appreciate you giving your time to combat loneliness and social isolation in our communities.

This agreement sets out the relationship between Empty Chairs and our brilliant Hosts, and what we expect of each other.

While it is not a contract, we require Hosts to accept the terms of this Agreement to keep attendees safe and to ensure that everyone working with Empty Chairs is on the same page.

1. About us

Empty Chairs is a grassroots initiative founded by Dean Perryman in memory of his best friend, Rob.

In response to the extraordinary response across the world, it was incorporated as a not-for-profit company. It is run by a small team, who are taking care to put Empty Chairs on a sustainable footing for the long term.

You, as a Host, are also a volunteer (and we are really grateful). Importantly, this means that being a Host means you are not an employee, worker, or contractor of Empty Chairs. As a Host, you can hold as many or as few Empty Chairs as you like.

You may be contacted by one of our Host Coordinators, who are also volunteers. Their job is to ensure that events are confirmed and publicised, as well as to provide a point of contact on the day of the event itself.

2. What we expect of you

Your role as a Host is simple: create the space for connection. You do not need to lead the conversation, be outgoing, or know the right thing to say.

Empty Chairs is about connection. Just be kind and listen — that is more than enough.

When you represent Empty Chairs, we ask that you:

  • Act with kindness, respect, and inclusivity towards everyone you meet.
  • Always hold space for conversations with attendees about why they have come, including their mental health or difficulties that they are experiencing.
  • Keep confidential anything sensitive shared with you by anyone who attends an Empty Chair.
  • Signpost attendees who disclose concerning things to you to appropriate resources, authorities, or support services if needed. More information can be found in our Safeguarding Policy and in the Host Hub.
  • Ask attendees' permission to take any photographs of your Empty Chair.
  • Follow any guidance or training provided by Empty Chairs.

We ask that you do not:

  • Create or produce your own Empty Chairs merchandise. You may purchase Empty Chairs t-shirts, hoodies, and other items from our Shop.
  • Provide, or hold yourself out as being able to provide, any form of professional advice (for example, counselling, legal, or medical advice). This includes if you are, outside of Empty Chairs, a trained professional. Instead, signpost an attendee in need to appropriate resources, authorities, or support services.
  • Create any additional Empty Chairs pages on social media without our permission. If you want to create an Empty Chairs Instagram or Facebook page for your area, please let us know so we can provide you with some guidance.

3. What you can expect of us

We understand that being a Host means putting yourself out there, and potentially taking on difficulties shared by others.

Empty Chairs is here to support you by:

  • Advertising your Empty Chair on our website and social media.
  • Maintaining our Host Hub, which contains links to resources such as more detailed safeguarding guidance, other useful material on hosting, and template posters to help with advertising your Empty Chairs event.
  • Facilitating access to training through trusted partners.
  • Providing a Host Coordinator, who will be your point of contact on the day of your event.
  • Providing WhatsApp groups, for peer support and a greater sense of community among Hosts.

Please note that, currently, we do not:

  • Operate any kind of helpline for Hosts. We ask that you seek support in the first instance from the venue, the authorities, and other resources.
  • Provide any kind of additional help or crisis support for Empty Chairs attendees in need.
  • Pay expenses for hosting.

4. Hosting an event

A brief guide to hosting:

  1. 1. Book your venue

    Book a table at your venue in advance. A table for 4–6 people tends to work well. Pubs and cafes are popular, but it can be anywhere that people can enter for free. There are no restrictions on days or times — go with whatever works for you and your community. If possible, you should let venue staff know that you will be holding an Empty Chairs event and, even better, get a named member of staff to keep an eye on the event itself.

  2. 2. Let us know when and where you are hosting

    Send us the date, time and venue of your Empty Chair by 20:00 BST on the Saturday before your event, so we can include it in our weekly listings.

  3. 3. Wear orange!

    Wear orange, or bring lots of orange with you (including, where possible, a printed sign) when hosting your Empty Chair. It needs to be totally unambiguous for people looking to approach you, especially those who may be nervous or shy. Hoodies and t-shirts with our logo can be bought from our Shop.

  4. 4. Wait for an hour

    Please hold your Empty Chair for an hour after the advertised time to see if anyone comes. After then, you are free to leave (or stay longer!). However:

    • If someone arrives late into your hour's "waiting time", we ask that you provide space for a real conversation and proper connection with the attendee(s).
    • After your hour's waiting time is up, you are not obliged to stay until all attendees leave (though many Hosts do).
    • If no one comes, that is absolutely fine — you showed up, and that is the whole point.

  5. 5. During your event

    You should be comfortable welcoming new people into the space, holding meaningful conversation, and — if necessary — managing group dynamics to make the space inclusive, particularly for new or late-arriving attendees. Please remember that Empty Chairs is about connection, not crisis support, and that you should signpost attendees in need to external resources if needed.

  6. 6. Give us some feedback, if you like

    We would love to hear how your session went — what worked, what didn't, and anything you learned that might help other Hosts. If you have taken any photos or videos, we would love to see those too. We will not share any images publicly without your permission.

5. Our branding

The Empty Chairs name, logo, and branding are the property of Empty Chairs. Please do not create merchandise, materials, or content using our brand without our permission.

We will provide you with useable template posters to help advertise your events.

If you have any ideas, or would like to create anything using the Empty Chairs brand, we'd love to hear them. Please just let us know.

6. Data protection

As part of enlisting you as a Host, we collect some personal data about you. We only collect or share personal data where necessary, and always treat it with care.

We handle all personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Our privacy page explains more about what we hold and why.

7. Ending this arrangement

If you decide that you do not want to be a Host anymore, that's absolutely fine. We'd be grateful if you would email [email protected] to let us know, so we can update our records.

If we have any concerns about your conduct, particularly in relation to the terms of this Agreement, we will always try to discuss them with you first.

However, we may at our sole discretion bar you from being a Host with Empty Chairs, or decline to publish your event on our website and social media.

8. Contact

In the first instance, contact your regular Host Coordinator. If they do not reply, you can escalate as follows:

Thank you so much again for volunteering your time to be a Host. Empty Chairs couldn't work without you.

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This agreement was last updated on 29 September 2026.