New ‘chatty’ benches unveiled in Seaton Carew to help with mental health and making new friends

Special benches have been set up at the seafront in a bid to help new friendship – as well as mental health – blossom.
Cllr Sue Little and Cllr Leisa Smith (on the right) enjoy a conversation on a Happy To Chat Bench.Cllr Sue Little and Cllr Leisa Smith (on the right) enjoy a conversation on a Happy To Chat Bench.
Cllr Sue Little and Cllr Leisa Smith (on the right) enjoy a conversation on a Happy To Chat Bench.

Three “Happy to Chat” benches have appeared across Seaton Carew to get people to talk to each other and hopefully boost their mental health.

Each bench has a plaque reading "Sit here if you don’t mind someone stopping to say hello” to show that the person sitting there is happy to have a conversation.

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Seaton Councillors Sue Little and Leisa Smith first had the idea back in 2019, but the making of the benches was delayed due to Covid.

The Happy To Chat Benches at Seaton Carew were the idea of Cllr Sue Little and Cllr Leisa Smith (on the left).The Happy To Chat Benches at Seaton Carew were the idea of Cllr Sue Little and Cllr Leisa Smith (on the left).
The Happy To Chat Benches at Seaton Carew were the idea of Cllr Sue Little and Cllr Leisa Smith (on the left).

Despite the delay, Councillor Sue Little has said that the timing is good because the pandemic has proved how important it is to talk to one another and not to be lonely.

She said: "It’s just to encourage people to talk more so people don’t have to suffer in silence.

"It’s to encourage people to talk more, because it’s good to talk.

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"I think Covid’s proven that people don’t talk enough and they don’t have to be lonely.

There are three 'Happy To Chat Benches' across Seaton.There are three 'Happy To Chat Benches' across Seaton.
There are three 'Happy To Chat Benches' across Seaton.

"It’s proven how it is so nice just to talk to a stranger to say hello.”

The benches were placed in March of this year but Covid restrictions at the time meant the plaques explaining the chatty benches’ purpose could not be fixed until mid August.

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Councillor Little has said she hopes the benches will help people form new friendships and help combat loneliness.

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She added: "It’d be lovely to know that someone’s had a blossoming friendship by sitting on one of these benches just talking to a stranger next to them.”

But Councillor Little has stressed that the benches are intended for adults and not for children to talk to strangers.

"I don’t want children to go and sit and talk to strangers,” she said.

"It’s aimed at the older person, because they’ve been inside for such a long time and a lot of them need lots of encouragement to come back out.

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“It’s just something so simple that people will hopefully say hello to each other, ‘good morning’, ‘how are you’.”

The benches are located opposite the clock tower and towards Sandy Car Park.

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