About Us

The Rural Coffee Caravan had only been constituted for just over a year when I joined in 2004. I had first-hand experience of loneliness having moved from a town into a very rural village, shortly after the death of my Mum. My husband’s job meant he was working away from home, my father developed dementia (he was living with us) so I felt very isolated, and it ate away at my confidence The support just wasn’t there then, and it was tough.  These lived experiences have helped me understand and empathise with so many of the people we meet on our visits.

Over the years I have led The Rural Coffee Caravan, it has grown a bit. Each member of the team goes above and beyond, and we are wonderfully supported by over 50 volunteers, either travelling with us or meeting us when we arrive in their village. We couldn’t do what we do without them.

We are embedded in and beloved by rural Suffolk, having strong working relationships with so many of the fantastic Suffolk organisations that are offering support, enabling people to say happy, healthy and independent.

I am so proud of the organisation we have become. I wish we weren’t needed but sadly we continue to be, as loneliness seems to be affecting more and more people of all ages. I am passionate about the importance of connection and how a feeling of belonging leads to a sense of safety, and improved wellbeing.  Kindness is key. I am blessed to be in a job that revolves around this superpower!

I am delighted to be part of an organisation that has such a big, beneficial impact on so many people in Suffolk. My role is internal and supportive, away from the front-line, preparing budgets, paying invoices, providing details for funding applications, liaising with accountants, minuting trustees’ meetings and organising insurances.

I joined The RCC in 2014. It is so very sad that it is needed at all; but it is so rewarding to be part of an organisation that faces the causes of rural isolation and loneliness head on, and does so much for the people affected. However, internal and supportive my work is, it is great to be part of this team.

The Rural Coffee Caravan ‘joins the dots’ so effectively. Having a background as an artist, I’d offered to help with the design of some of the marketing materials back in 2005 and also joined a few visits facilitating art and craft workshops for visitors to take part in. Seeing first-hand how uplifting and impactful the village visits could be, I wanted to contribute in whatever practical ways I was able to the charity and eventually became a part of the team in 2018.

My role is quite diverse – helping to coordinate our initiative networks; designing marketing materials, publications and digital content. I enjoy trying to find creative solutions to some of the tasks and challenges presented to us, and getting to work with such a kind, dynamic and supportive team is a daily inspiration.

I have had many different jobs over the years but the cherry on the cake is the job I have now with The Rural Coffee Caravan. The RCC was previously a conduit for me at Age UK Suffolk to get out and meet the older person, directing them to services and support that they might need. I volunteered for many years supporting RCC visits; and have been making the teas, coffee and cakes (I love baking) since 2005, but became a full- time part of the team in 2019.

The ethos of The RCC is something that I totally support and believe in. We are warm and friendly bunch. We have a very informal way of working which builds connections. I love making a difference and getting up in the morning and taking to the road.

I am rather passionate about Suffolk, its identity and its residents and I have volunteered extensively throughout my 25 years of living here, which to me just seemed the most obvious thing to do with three small children…  But what a wonderful way to get to know our County!

I joined in 2019 for a specific role funded by a grant to address fuel poverty and to help encourage support with rural energy issues throughout Suffolk.  I became a trained Rural Energy Officer alongside being the Community Engagement Officer for East Suffolk and the rest, as they say, is history.

The best thing about The Rural Coffee Caravan and our jobs within it, is the opportunity to share.  To share knowledge and information, which ultimately could make another person’s journey more comfortable or bearable, surely has to be the best gift ever.

I came on board the Rural Coffee Caravan in 2010 as the charity took on its first campervan. What I love best about us is the informal, friendly approach which builds a level of trust to such an extent that people open up to us about their problems and challenges, knowing that we will help them in so many ways.

By spending a small amount of time and care with one of our visitors we might be able to help them avoid a slip or fall (by refreshing their walking stick ferrule) or help them to gain a blue badge for easier shopping on their local high street, or help by advising relatives on dementia matters, or on ways to increase lower incomes. All of which they might not have been aware of, and albeit small individual acts, they all can snowball into a more increased quality of life for many people.

I am enthusiastic about addressing digital isolation among the older population in Suffolk, helping rural residents to embrace technology and to not be scared of it. We let them know they have not been forgotten.

I love Suffolk, having lived here for many years and working across the whole county. I love connecting people, hearing their stories and finding solutions to problems or issues they may have.

I joined The Rural Coffee Caravan in 2023 as a Volunteer before becoming part of the team later that year. There are few organisations that can do what The RCC does, getting out into the villages of Suffolk, being the eyes and ears of people – checking in and making sure that people are ok and that they are seen, heard, supported and made to feel of value.

It is a joy to hear villagers chat when the caravan is all set up, they look out for each other. The caravan is the catalyst for on-going community support. Once we have drunk the coffee and eaten the cake, moved on, it is obvious that people build on connections made during the visit, they encourage new people to come along and call by those who they haven’t seen for a while. That is the joy of the caravan – the work begins before visits are established and continues long after the caravan drives off down the road!

I became a volunteer for The Rural Coffee Caravan in 2019 and went on to join the team in 2020. I was instantly hooked on this wonderful charity which has such kindness at the very heart of it. Connecting people with others in their community brings such joy.

My role is split between administrative tasks, assisting with digital content, and team support on village visits.

It’s the visits that I love the most – meeting people, sharing their stories, seeing the smiles on their faces and the real difference the visits make to them. Building up the trust and confidence of visitors, to be able to discuss their concerns, so that we can help to signpost them to available support is a privilege and a rewarding responsibility.

I’ve been working in the charitable sector for about 30 years, mainly in education and the arts. I’d been aware of The Rural Coffee Caravan since its inception and I am thrilled to become a part of its dedication to alleviating rural isolation. As Finance Officer I’ll be part of the backroom team but hope to be out and about on a visit from time to time.

I initially trained as a physiotherapist when my husband and I came to Suffolk in 1974 but felt called to serve. We found Suffolk to be a great County, very rural, with people who are friendly and welcoming to those who move here, and a place supportive of innovative ideas.

I was part of the first group of women to be ordained in Bury St Edmunds Cathedral in 1994 and as part of the work I was doing as Agricultural Chaplain for the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, I also worked with the Farm Crisis Network (now the Farming Communities Network). Taking calls on their helpline reinforced the knowledge that many in isolated communities are very lonely and do not know where help may be sought or obtained.

The idea came that we could have a caravan and, if Parish Councils wanted us, we could visit isolated communities helping people meet other people without them having to join anything… or even get through a door! My fellow members of FCN in Suffolk said “Good idea. Let’s do it!”  So, we did!

I have no doubt The RCC will continue to evolve and grow, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were not needed? The work we are doing is now more important than ever and financial support is vital, as of course, the charity costs money to run. But for as long as we can, we will keep working to reduce loneliness and isolation in as many communities across Suffolk as we are able.

I have lived in Suffolk all my life. My family have farmed here, in Great Ashfield, since 1900. Suffolk is such a special County with so many interesting villages and historic Bury St Edmunds. I remember Sally purchasing and setting of with the first caravan. I became involved with The Rural Coffee Caravan through Sally. She was my Chaplin when I was High sheriff 2011/2012 which is when I became very aware of rural isolation and how important this project was to those living in rural areas.

When my time as High Sheriff came to an end, Sally invited me to become Patron, a role I am very lucky to have. Being involved with this great charity is very rewarding.  I attend Trustee meetings and try to give advice where I can and also help on the fund-raising committee.

My family and I have lived In Suffolk for just on 45 years, and we love it here – so much so that when I was offered a job in London, I opted to commute rather than move house. But there’s no doubt that village life has changed in that time- shops and pubs have closed, public transport is more difficult to access, there are fewer places for people to meet and socialise. All of which makes the work of The Rural Coffee Caravan more important than ever.

My ability to tow a caravan was my introduction to The RCC, in the first instance as a volunteer in 2009. People really look forward to our Village Visits, and if we can help with any problems by signposting people to organisations that might help, so much the better. We’ll be around for as long as we’re needed.

I moved to Suffolk in the late 1980s, having originally been brought up in Scotland.  Having volunteered for a number of years in various roles in Suffolk I was delighted to be asked to become a trustee of The Rural Coffee Caravan.  I am a huge advocate of The RCC, the understated way in which they work and the real difference the team makes to the wellbeing of our rural and urban communities in Suffolk.  I believe strongly in volunteering and the voluntary sector and The RCC is an outstanding example of all that is good about charitable organisations.

I still live in the same house on the same little farm in Suffolk where I was born.  I am acutely aware of the difficulties facing the farming community and those living in rural villages with no bus service, shop, pub or village hub.  I got involved with fund raising for the Rural Coffee Caravan back in 2016 when I helped organise the Queen’s Birthday Party at Milden Hall Barn. After helping with fundraising and hosting of several other larger Coffee Caravan events I found myself as a Trustee in 2020.

While it would be amazing to think there was no need for the charity in twenty years’ time because rural isolation would have ceased to exist, I suspect the need is only going to grow. It costs a lot of money to buy the vehicles, keep them on the road, and pay the staff to run the charity.  Our volunteers are essential. Fund raising from as many sources as possible will continue to be of critical importance to the survival of our much-loved charity.

I am honoured – in a modest way – to serve a charity that has kindness at its heart.

I grew up in rural Suffolk and live where my forbears did on a farm in south Suffolk, so I know the kind of understated & dignified people – who can find themselves isolated in an increasingly atomised world – whom The Rural Coffee Caravan reaches out to.

For so many the Coffee Caravan acts as a lifeline, as Good Samaritans bringing friendly faces, a cuppa, a chat & vital information into their community. I would encourage those of us in Suffolk, like myself, who are lucky enough to have a strong family network & to see a lot of them, to think of others less fortunate by giving generously to The Rural Coffee Caravan.

I’ve enjoyed being a trustee of the Rural Coffee Caravan since 2015. I moved to Suffolk with my young family in 2012 and first heard about the Charity from a colleague at a local museum. She’d just completed a project with them and was raving about their work. The penny dropped. That explained the groups of people with coffee and cake next to a caravan parked up on the green I often drove past. They looked like they were having a great time and I was hooked.

My involvement came by simply asking if there was anything I could do to help. I didn’t realise then that I would benefit too. We all need to feel like we belong and The Rural Coffee Caravan is like a local family.  We are always looking for trustees and volunteers who want to get involved. If that’s you please get in touch. Loneliness is everyone’s business.

Shortly after moving to Freckenham in 2011 I was introduced to The Rural Coffee Caravan by a neighbour. Since then, I’ve been a regular attendee when they visit (well they do park right outside my house) and have met so many lovely neighbours from Freckenham and surrounding villages.

My career as a management training consultant is now coming to an end so I am pleased to take on this new challenge of being a Trustee for the charity.

Born and raised in Suffolk, I currently work at a local company in Walsham-le-Willows; it was here I met the Rural Coffee Caravan for the first time as they moved into their lovely new office space. After a few visits and conversations (with the odd tea and biscuits), I was honoured to be invited to become a trustee, and it was one of the easiest decisions of my life so far!

What amazes me about the Coffee Caravan is the breadth of the area they cover across the county, supporting so many people along the way – such an inspiring feat for a small charity who only opened their first proper office space in 2024. It is clear that it is a charity with warmth, passion and care at its heart, something I witnessed in abundance as I was welcomed into the team.

It is a privilege to be a part of the Rural Coffee Caravan journey, and I look forward to supporting in any way possible as we continue to address the saddening effects of loneliness across Suffolk.