A group in Easter Ross is determined to get more people talking to reduce loneliness in the community.
Tain and District Development Trust has already installed two happy to chat benches, and plan to introduce more.
The first two are in Tain and Balintore.
Dave Macrae, community liaison officer at TDDT, said: “We realised that people may be isolated, they might go out for a walk and sit on a bench and not have anyone come and speak to them.
“We decided we would get happy to chat bench signs so if people were willing to chat to a stranger or someone they could sit on a bench with this sign.”
Sparking friendships
Mr Macrae stressed that while there are a large number of elderly people in the area who may be isolated, the benches are for people of all ages to use.
He said: “There are a lot of people in the area who go out walking their dog on their own, the dog may be the only thing they have.
“If they’re sitting at a bench that has a happy to chat sign they might spark up friendships.
“Isolation is maybe not as big of a problem as it was in Covid times but there are still a lot of people out there who are isolated and lonely for their own reason.”
The benches are funded by profits from community markets in the area, meaning the money made is being fed back into supporting locals.
More benches
TDDT is keen to put more happy to chat benches around the area, both on popular walking routes and at viewpoints.
“We also have a walking group to help with isolation, they have identified a few places along the way that would be nice for a bench,” Mr Macrae said.
The trust is working with the community to decide which existing benches could be turned into happy to chat benches and where new ones could be erected.
It has even approached families who own memorial benches in popular areas to ask if they would like their loved one’s bench to be used as a happy to chat one.
If you think you know the perfect spot for a happy to chat bench, or would like to offer a memorial one, contact TDDT.
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