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From January 2023 to July 2024, we held multiple events to distribute our Happy to Chat Badges. So far, we received with 198 returns of questionnaires from participants when they were first introduced to Happy to Chat, and 122 returns after their participation of Happy to Chat for more than 3 months.
The majority of our participants were in the younger age bracket, with 69.7% falling into the 18-29 age group. The bar chart below illustrates this age distribution among our participants and their gender distribution.
A significant 71.43% of participants reported using the Happy to Chat badge. Notably, more than half of these users (52.39%) wore the badge regularly, with many using it once or twice a week, or even daily. This frequency of use suggests that participants are happy to incorporate the badge into their routine. When it comes to where they wore the badge, participants most commonly choose:
These figures highlight the participants’ willingness to engage in social interactions in a variety of everyday settings.
It was expected that some people might have concerns about safety, confidence in wearing the badge, and whether it would be welcomed by others. However, these concerns were largely unfounded. More than 90% of participants reported feeling confident, welcomed and safe while wearing the badge. Specifically, 97.65% felt safe – an exceptionally high level of security.
It is important to note that individuals who frequently used the “Happy to Chat” badge tended to report higher confidence in using the badges (p = 0.002), felt more welcomed when talking to strangers (p = 0.023), and also experienced an increased sense of safety (p < 0.001).
Participants reported a greater enjoyment of conversations with strangers after joining Happy to Chat. The average score for the statement “It is fun talking to strangers” increased from 3.57 to 3.72 (p=0.039). Similarly, the statement “I enjoy talking to strangers” saw an increase from 3.53 to 3.77 (p=0.042). These positive shifts show that the Happy to Chat badge effectively fosters more enjoyable and engaging interactions with strangers!
As shown in the chart above, participants generally felt positive about their ability to handle situations while using the Happy to Chat badge. A strong 69.7% were confident in their problem-solving abilities. However, confidence in handling unforeseen situations was slightly lower, with 53.4% expressing assurance. This suggests that while participants feel capable overall, there is an opportunity to boost confidence in unexpected interactions through targeted support.
We have created several informative videos about Happy to Chat, including tips, dos and don’ts, designed to help participants engage more effectively. We found that watching the videos had a significant association with feelings of welcomed (p = 0.019) and safety (p = 0.002). However, there is room for improvement in promoting these resources. Currently, only 22% of participants have watched the videos. This highlights a key area where we can focus our efforts to ensure more participants benefit from these resources.
Over half of the participants (55.3%) who wore the badge shared their involvement in the scheme with family and friends. A strong majority of participants (90.36%) said they would recommend the scheme to others.
However, when it came to taking on a more active role, only 34.52% of participants expressed interest in becoming an ambassador for the programme. This highlights a key opportunity to expand the programme through targeted outreach and support.
Participants offered enthusiastic praise for the Happy to Chat badge and shared valuable suggestions for increasing its visibility:
· “You are doing great work, keep going. All the very best.” – Participant T, Female, 43 years old
· “When I wear the Happy to Chat badge, some people are attracted to it. They ask where they can buy one or if there are more styles available, especially women.” – Participant Q, Female, 28 years old
· “I think it’s fantastic…I think you should try to get exposure for the project which can help this catch on.” – Participant N, Female, 27 years old
· “Wearing my badge I have made conversations with total strangers and feel better having had a chat. Many have said they feel good, and this initiative is amazing. Family have said it’s a brilliant idea. I’ve met people on the train and instantly made conversations. Perhaps get TFL involved to advertise on public transport.” – Participant C, Female, 58 years old
