Red and white stripes take over city benches to get Southampton talking
Saints Foundation has partnered with local community groups with an initiative to encourage conversation in Southampton.
Three local benches have been wrapped in the iconic Saints red and white stripes, and adorned with a plaque that encourages those taking a seat to strike up a conversation with others.
St James’ Park in Shirley, Riverside Park in Bitterne Park, and the Miller’s Pond conservation area in Sholing will all get a red and white makeover in time for Time To Talk Day this Thursday (1 February).
The project – a collaboration between Saints Foundation, community groups SO:Linked and Friends of St James’ Park, and the University of Southampton – aims to reduce social isolation by providing a space where people who are lonely or struggling with their mental health can talk with others in the community.
Pictured: The bench in St James' Park, Shirley
The red and white benches will be formally unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Southampton, Councillor Valerie Lambert, at the St James’ Park bench at 1pm today (1 Feb). This is in line with Time To Talk Day, a national initiative that encourages mental health conversations between friends, families, communities, and workplaces.
Paul Hedges, Health Projects Manager at Saints Foundation, said: “We’re excited to use the iconic red and white stripes to signify our new talking benches. The colours of our club mean a lot to our communities, and we hope that, like Saints, these benches will be a point of connection for people, and get Southampton talking.
“These benches have been brought to life by an exciting collaboration of local charitable organisations and the University of Southampton, supported by the Effective Partnerships Practice fund – a fantastic example of Southampton institutions to coming together for the good of the community.
“We’d like to thank Elmtree Signs, a valued corporate patron of Saints Foundation, for the designing, printing and installing the benches, and also Spectrum Signs for their support with the signage.”
The benches will be supported with a dedicated web page hosted by SO:Linked and a QR code that will allow individuals to leave comments and feedback on the spaces. You can find out more info below.
The talking benches are just one way that Saints Foundation is aiming to support wellbeing in Southampton. Our Saints By Your Side programme offers free group support sessions for men in the local area who are struggling with their mental health. It’s free to attend and you can self-refer via the project webpage:
