Take A Seat At A Happy To Chat Bench

Talking about how you are doing is one of the vital ways to help with your mental health. That is why St Helens Wellbeing have installed happy to chat benches at 25 locations across the borough where people can take a seat and chat to others as a way to support each other.

The benches have been put in popular beauty spots including Sankey Valley, Taylor Park and Mesnes Park along with two all weather benches at Sherdley Park.

Councillor Anthony Burns, Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, Culture and Heritage, said: “We all know that connecting to nature and getting some exercise, no matter how gentle it is, is a simple way that we can improve our mental wellbeing. That is why these benches have been located in popular parks and green spaces across the borough where we know people go to walk and take time out from their day. These simple acts of self-care can help reduce the stresses we all face day-to-day and incorporating the opportunity to open up and talk about how we feel.”

The benches are just one of the many ways that St Helens Borough Council and its partners are providing mental health support for residents.

Councillor Michelle Sweeney, Lead Member for Mental Health, added: “It’s vital that we break down the stigma of talking about our mental health and these benches will help us to find the opportunity to talk to others about how we are feeling. These small steps can really add up and although we talk about having the difficult conversations around suicide when we feel people are struggling through our Okay To Ask campaign it’s much better to regularly talk about how we feel as a healthy way to deal with our emotions.”

To find out more about Okay To Ask visit:

www.oktoaskcampaign.co.uk

For more details about St Helens Wellbeing Services help, see a full list of the benches and support visit www.sthelenswellbeing.org.uk/services/mental-wellbeing or call 01744 377111.

If anyone needs urgent support please contact The Samaritans on 116 123 or the free Mersey Care 24 hour Mental Health Crisis Line on 0800 051 1508.