What's On

BRINGING THE community together is vital and our latest ‘Buddy’ Bench project certainly does that! 

The initiative is an partnership between Wellington Square, Holy Trinity Rosehill Primary School and Teesside Mind with the aim of supporting lonely people in Stockton-on-Tees.

The Buddy Bench project started back in June when Wellington Square’s Marketing Manager Chantal Taylor recruited the pupils of Holy Trinity Rosehill Primary to help to design a bench that would encourage people to sit down and take time out from the busy world around them.

Chantal Taylor said, “Loneliness is affecting more and more of us in the UK and had a huge impact on our physical and mental health during the pandemic which is why we decided to create a solution to support both wellbeing and inclusion in the Teesside community.”

The winning design, by Charlotte McDonald, has now been painted onto the bench by the pupils at the school and installed in Wellington Square so that everyone can enjoy the colourful design that is sure to put a smile on everyone’s faces. 

Visitors to Wellington Square are invited to sit down on the bench if they would like to engage in conversation with a like-minded stranger. It is a place where people can form connections with others in the community.

The ‘Buddy Bench’ can be found opposite River Island at Wellington Square.