Mental health ‘talking bench’ installed on Bristol Harbourside
It's hoped the semi-colon shaped bench will help prevent suicides
A ‘talking bench’ was put in place at Bristol Harbourside this afternoon to help encourage mental health conversations in the hope of preventing suicide.
The bench is in the shape of a semi-colon to represent a hopeful pause and has the telephone numbers of suicide hotlines on it as well as a What3words location to direct emergency services if needed.
It was installed by Bristol-based charity Hope Against Suicide who work to provide a free mobile listening service to those battling poor mental health or suicidal thoughts.
The charity also patrols around the harbourside area several times a week on foot to provide face-to-face mental health support.
Hope Against Suicide founder Clare Kemp said: “It’s completely unique in that it’s a semi-colon shape.
“It’s a bench to honour those who have already been lost to suicide, but it’s also a bench to reflect and pause because the semi-colon is a national symbol of hope for suicide survivors and those contemplating suicide that their story isn’t over yet.
“What we really want to develop through this talking bench is to take away the stigma of mental health and the use of the word suicide
“We are in a suicide pandemic and mental health is crucial, so to have the bench just acknowledges that it’s a safe space and perhaps it might just prompt somebody to say hello to you and to have that conversation – that’s what we really want to develop through this initiative.”
The bench was partly funded by John McGhee, who lost his 23-year-old son Max to suicide in 2017 and since became involved with Hope Against Suicide.
Kemp said that John is an advocate for making sure that the training is there for open conversation around suicide and wanted to contribute towards the bench, so they have put a plaque on the bench in loving memory of Max.
Kemp said: “If the bench is successful then we’d love to get more semi-colon benches on board with more plaques and helpline and crises numbers in as many places as we can.”