This Bench was Made for Talking

“This Bench is Made for Talking”

You are probably wondering why this bench is coloured this way? Well, please take a seat and let us explain…

We want to tell you about an exciting project in its early stages happening in Southampton.

Social isolation and loneliness are endemic issues in communities with 45% of adults (around 25 million adults, Source CEL)lonely in England. The impact of this on community health is massive; living alone and poor social connections are as bad for your health as smoking (Holt-Lunstad, 2010) and likely to increase your risk of death by 26% (Holt-Lunstad, 2015).

Tackling social isolation can be as simple as starting a conversation and the impact of this can be huge to both parties engaging in the activity. 

This project aims to reduce social isolation and create a focal point not only for chatting, creating connections and bringing people together. Talking benches have been placed in St James Park, Shirley, Sholing Valley in Sholing and Riverside Park in Bitterne Park.

The signage and branding will encourage lonely people to use the seating and those that feel comfortable to engage in conversation to meet in a safe environment. These benches will also be used to create focal points in the community. We hope that this will lead to the benches becoming a feature and talking point within these spaces.

The benches have branded to be instantly recognisable with the famous red and white stripes of our city.

The project will look to engage with local communities surrounding each location,  working closely in partnership with existing groups and friends of organisations to promote and advertise the benches. Utilising the Southampton Green Network to help identify further locations will help to grow the benches and allow the pilot to expand into more areas. It is hoped these spaces will utilise existing street furniture and simply repurpose it to create a valuable much needed safe and welcoming space for communities to gather, connecting to add value to our parks and open spaces. 

Thanks again for reading and we hope you feel inspired to strike up a conversation with the next person you see.

For more information, including how to apply for a bench, contact us on Thisbenchismadefotalking@gmail.com.

We love feedback and want to hear from you. Please give us your thoughts, good and bad, here: Southampton’s Friendly Talking Bench (google.com)

We recognise that loneliness can lead to feelings of low mood, desperation, or suicide. If you are feeling low and do not know where to turn, please know that you not alone and there is help available. You can contact the Samaritans on 116 123 or text SHOUT to 85258.

You can find a list of services you can help by clicking here:

Southampton has a rich voluntary and community sector full of groups, organisations and services that can help us in these difficult times. The SO:Linked SOLID database has a postcode and key word search which you can use to find out what groups, activities and helpful services are near you. You can find it here: https://solinked.org.uk/community_services

This Bench is Made For Talking is a project between the Saints Foundation, Friends of St James Park, Southampton Voluntary Services and the University of Southampton.

Saints Foundation (more information here) is the charity of Southampton Football Club. They support people in need throughout Southampton, providing life-changing opportunities to help our city and its communities thrive.

The Friends of St James Park (more information here) was formed by a group of local residents in January 2006 to help improve the Park for the diverse community surrounding it.

Southampton Voluntary Services (more Information here) is the umbrella body for local voluntary and community groups working in Southampton. We provide a wide range of services including specialist support, advice and training to our membership. We also provide and promote information to individuals and organisations on volunteering in the city.

The University of Southampton (more information here) is a public research university in Southampton, England. The University have provided the funding for this project.