Southampton benches given makeover to get city chatting

Specially coloured benches have popped up to get a city's residents talking.

Three seats across Southampton have been wrapped in red and white colours for Time To Talk Day.

Friends of St James' Park partnered with Saints Foundation, So:Linked and the University of Southampton for the project.

It aims to provide a social space for people who are lonely or struggling with their mental health to talk with others in the community.

The Lord Mayor of Southampton, councillor Valerie Lambert, unveiled one of the benches at the St James' Park in Shirley earlier.

The two other benches will be at Riverside Park in Bitterne Park, and the Miller's Pond conservation area in Sholing.

Sue Kinch, events and social media coordinator at Friends of St James' Park, said she hoped people would be open to using the benches to talk to others.

She said: "You really can make someone's day with a smile and a hello so together lets combat loneliness and get Southampton talking."

She described the collaboration of local organisations as "a fantastic example of Southampton institutions coming together for the good of the community."

The benches will be supported with a dedicated web page hosted by SoLinked and a QR code that will allow individuals to leave comments and feedback on the spaces.

Time to Talk Day is run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness in England, in partnership with Co-op.

The day is all about creating supportive communities by having conversations with family, friends, or colleagues about mental health.

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