As part of Loneliness Awareness Week (10 to 16 June), we’re launching Happy to Chat benches in 4 parks in Haringey:
The benches offer the chance for people to sit down and chat to people they do not know. This helps build connections and reduce feelings of loneliness.
Launch of the benches
We’ll launch the benches in June 2024 alongside the Haringey Walks programme, so walk participants can get involved.
The first Happy to Chat bench is available in Bruce Castle Park from 7 June 2024.
The other benches will launch later in June.
This is a pilot project from Haringey Reach and Connect, a local service providing support to the over 50s in Haringey. The benches are inspired by Alison Owen-Jones from Cardiff who created the first Happy to Chat benches.
If the pilot is a success, there may be more Happy to Chat benches in other parks.
Your feedback
We welcome your feedback and comments about this project. This lets us know how successful it is and any improvements we can make. Tell us about:
- what your bench experience was like
- if it helped you connect with and get to know others using the park
- if the bench was comfortable
- if it’s in the right spot
- if there any other parks where you’d like to see one of these benches
- any other comments or questions you have