What to expect

So, what actually happens?

An Empty Chairs event is simply a table in a public place with a volunteer host and some empty chairs.

You turn up, find the host, take a seat and stay for as long as you feel comfortable.

There's no agenda or expectation that you talk about anything in particular. It's just an opportunity to spend some time around other people.

Every event is slightly different because every group of people is different. Sometimes there might be several people around the table. Sometimes it might just be you and the host. Both are completely normal.

When you arrive

The event listing will tell you the venue, time and name of the host.

When you get there, look for someone wearing orange. That's your Empty Chairs host.

You can simply walk over and say hello.

The host will help you feel welcome at the table.

If other people are already there, don't worry about interrupting. The whole point of the empty chairs is that people can join.

Coming on your own is completely normal

You absolutely do not need to bring somebody with you.

Empty Chairs is designed so that you can arrive on your own, even if you don't know anybody there.

You can bring a friend, family member or someone else if that makes attending easier, but you don't need to.

And if the people already sitting at the table appear to know each other, that doesn't mean you're joining a private group. You are still welcome to take an empty chair.

There's no pressure to talk

You can talk as much or as little as you like.

You might introduce yourself and immediately join the conversation. You might spend a little while listening first. You might mostly sit quietly.

All of those are fine.

Nobody should expect you to explain why you came to Empty Chairs, and you don't need to share anything personal that you don't want to.

There are no compulsory introductions, activities or group exercises.

It's just a table and a conversation.

What do people talk about?

Anything, really.

Empty Chairs conversations don't have to be about loneliness, mental health or anything particularly serious.

People might talk about:

• football
• work
• films or TV
• music
• what they've been doing that week
• the local area
• hobbies
• holidays
• whatever happens to come up

Sometimes conversations are light-hearted. Sometimes people talk about things that matter to them.

There isn't a right subject.

You can simply join in where you feel comfortable.

How long do I need to stay?

There is no minimum amount of time you need to stay.

You might stay for five minutes, half an hour, the whole event or somewhere in between.

You can leave whenever you want, and you don't need to make a big thing of leaving.

Our hosts commit to being at the advertised table for at least one hour, even if nobody has arrived yet. Some events may run for longer, depending on the event listing and the people there.

So if you arrive a little after the advertised start time, that's okay too.

Things you don't need to do

You do not need to:

• sign up before attending
• pay to attend
• explain why you've come
• talk about your personal life
• speak if you don't feel like speaking
• take part in an activity
• stay for a set amount of time
• know anybody beforehand
• give us your contact details
• tell us that you attended

There is also no expectation that you buy food or drink at Empty Chairs.

A few useful things to know

Under 18?

Anyone under the age of 18 needs to attend with an adult aged 18 or over. Many of our events are held in pubs which may have their own rules in regards to under 18s entering their premises.

The venue may be busy

Empty Chairs events take place in ordinary public venues, so the surroundings will vary.

Some tables will be in busy pubs. Others might be in quieter cafés or community spaces.

Check the event listing before attending if the venue itself is important to you.

What if nobody else turns up?

Sometimes an event is busy. Sometimes only one person comes along.

If you are the only attendee, the host will still be there and you can simply sit and chat with them.

Hosts remain at the table for at least one hour even if nobody has arrived.

What Empty Chairs isn't

Empty Chairs is not therapy, counselling or a mental health treatment service.

Our hosts are volunteers. They are there to welcome people, help conversation flow and make the table feel approachable.

They are not therapists, counsellors or mental health professionals, and Empty Chairs is not a crisis service.

You never need to be experiencing a particular problem to attend either.

You might be having a difficult week. You might simply fancy some company. You might be new to the area. Or you might just like the idea of sitting down and meeting some people.

You don't need to justify being there.

When somebody arrives

For you, it might just be someone walking over to the table.

For them, it might have taken a lot more courage.

They may have come on their own. They may have spent ten minutes outside deciding whether to come in. They may not know what they're supposed to say when they reach you.

You don't need a script. A simple:

“Hi, I'm X. Are you here for Empty Chairs? Grab a seat.”

is enough.

You can introduce yourself, ask their name and bring them into whatever conversation is already happening. If they're quiet at first, that's fine too.

Your job isn't to get somebody talking. It's to make it clear that they're welcome to be there.

What do you actually talk about?

Anything.

You don't need to arrive with discussion questions or a list of conversation starters. People might talk about work, the local area, holidays, what they've been doing that week, their personal life, their mental health, or whatever happens to come up.

Some conversations will be fun. Others might be more serious.

You can help keep the conversation moving and make sure nobody is being left out, but you don't need to dominate it.

And if there's a bit of silence? That's okay. You don't need to fill every second.

Helping people feel included

Your main job is to be kind and to make the table easy to find and easy to join. In practice that means:

• arriving when you said you would
• wearing orange so people can recognise you
• welcoming anyone who approaches
• helping people feel included, particularly anyone who arrives late
• letting the conversation happen naturally
• respecting people's boundaries
• staying at the table for at least one hour

You don't need to turn the event into anything more complicated than that. An Empty Chairs table should feel like a normal group of people sitting down together — because that's exactly what it is.

If only one person comes

Then the event might simply be the two of you having a conversation. That's completely fine. Sit down. Have a chat.

Empty Chairs isn't about the number of chairs filled. It's about creating the space so that anyone who needs it has somewhere to go.

Keeping good boundaries

Empty Chairs is deliberately informal, but a few boundaries keep it simple and protect both hosts and attendees. We only ever share your first name, and we ask hosts not to exchange private contact details — if somebody wants to reconnect with people they have met, that should happen at a future public Empty Chairs event.

You're there as a volunteer, not as anybody's counsellor or support worker. If somebody needs specialist or crisis support, your job is to point them towards it rather than provide it. The Host Agreement and our safeguarding policy set both of those out properly.