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Sahara Wellbeing CIC is a community organisation working across Medway in Kent. They support older South Asian people to feel connected, valued and supported as they age. Gal Baat is one of their regular community social events. It’s an opportunity to try something new and connect with others. It was created to address a significant gap in culturally appropriate provision for older South Asian adults in our community.
Beyond a conversation
The name "Gal Baat" means “chit chat”, but the impact of the space goes far beyond conversation. It provides a welcoming environment where older people can connect, share experiences and feel understood within a culturally familiar setting.
For many older guests, the sessions provide a vital opportunity to leave the house, connect with others and feel part of a supportive community. Guests regularly describe the group as something they look forward to each month.
One guest shared that the group had “lifted them out of hell”, referring to the loneliness they had experienced before joining. Others say they begin planning what they will wear in advance because they are so excited to attend.
Removing barriers and connecting communities
Most guests are in their 70s, with some in their 80s and 90s. Many live alone and face challenges, including language barriers, mobility issues, dementia, Parkinson’s and social isolation. Gal Baat was designed specifically to remove these barriers so that older people can remain connected to their community. Each monthly session now welcomes up to 60 guests. Everyone shares tea and snacks, enjoys a traditional hot lunch, takes part in activities and games, and hears informative talks that support their wellbeing.
A place of belonging
What makes Gal Baat especially impactful is its commitment to accessibility and inclusion. Volunteers translate conversations, provide lifts, support guests with mobility needs and ensure everyone is welcomed personally when they arrive. Over time, the space has become a place where friendships form, confidence grows and people feel that they belong.
Forging unlikely friendships
Gal Baat is a place where strangers become friends, crossing cultural, language and generational boundaries. Like the friendship between G (name changed to protect identity), who is in her 90s, and N (name changed to protect identity), who is in his 70s. G lives alone and has significant visual impairment, which makes getting out difficult.
N attends Gal Baat as a guest but also volunteers as the minibus driver, helping others travel to the sessions. Over time, the journeys to Gal Baat became the beginning of a meaningful friendship. Despite coming from different cultural backgrounds and speaking different languages, the two developed a warm and playful bond. G now calls N her “brother”. This friendship reflects the wider spirit of Gal Baat.
People arrive as strangers but gradually build connections that brighten their lives and reduce loneliness. Stories like this are common within the group. Guests support one another, celebrate together, and create a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued.
Transforming lives
Gal Baat demonstrates how a simple idea can transform lives by creating connection, compassion and community. The relationships that are nurtured there show how powerful community spaces can be when they are built on kindness, trust and shared humanity.
Gal Baat received an honourable mention for the Rt Hon. Gordon Brown Chain of Hope Warm Welcome Award.
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