Over the past few years, we’ve been developing projects to help combat loneliness in Cliftonville and to explore how public spaces can play a role in bringing people together. Parks, gardens and cafés aren’t just places to pass through — they’re places where everyday connections can happen naturally, without pressure or formality.
As part of this thinking, we’re pleased to share plans for a new Chatty Bench at The Oval — a permanent, welcoming seating feature designed to encourage conversation, connection and a sense of belonging.
What is a Chatty Bench?
Chatty Benches are a simple but powerful idea. They are clearly marked seating areas that signal one thing: if you sit here, you’re happy to have a chat. They’ve been adopted by councils, housing providers and community organisations across the UK as a gentle way to reduce social isolation, particularly for older people, those living alone, or anyone who may be feeling disconnected.
There’s no organised activity and no sign-up. Just a shared understanding that this is a friendly place to pause, sit, and connect with others.
A Bench with a Purpose — and a Point of Reference
At The Oval, we’re taking this idea a step further.
The proposed Chatty Bench will be a large circular or hexagonal bench located at the northern entrance to The Oval on Queen’s Parade, overlooking the sea and across our gardens. Rather than placing a tree at its centre, the bench will be built around one of our new wayfinding signposts, surrounded by planting to add visual interest and soften the space.
This means the bench will do two things at once:
- create a sociable place to sit and talk
- act as a clear, legible point of orientation for people arriving at The Oval from the coastal path
In other words, it will be a place where people can sit, chat, and find their way — physically and socially.
Linking to Our New Wayfinding Signage
Last year, we announced the installation of new wayfinding signage across The Oval, made possible thanks to grant funding from Kent County Council. We are currently asking for residents’ input on which destinations should be included on the signs, so they can be ordered and installed ahead of the summer season.
These signs are designed to help people navigate Cliftonville more confidently on foot or bicycle, showing walking times and nearby destinations without relying on phones or cars.
By centring the Chatty Bench around a wayfinding post, we’re deliberately linking two ideas:
- making places easier to navigate
- making people feel more welcome and confident in using The Oval’s facilities
For someone arriving alone, a clearly visible bench with signage quietly says:
“This is a place to stop. You’re not in the way. You’re welcome here.”
Part of a Wider Approach to Tackling Loneliness
The Chatty Bench will sit alongside other initiatives at The Oval aimed at supporting social connection, including:
- the opening of The Oval Café and community bookshop in the bandstand amphitheatre in late April 2026
- our participation in the Chatty Café Scheme, with a dedicated chatty table supported by volunteers
- a packed programme of community events, wellbeing classes and informal social activities
- The Oval Ecology Group, which meets weekly and brings people together through shared gardening and environmental tasks
- over three acres of Green Flag award winning gardens, including a proposed new wellness garden where additional seating and chess tables will encourage social interaction
Individually, these things might seem small. Together, they help create an environment where people can meet others naturally — and where social interaction at The Oval can become part of everyday routines.
A Bench for Cliftonville
We see the Chatty Bench as a shared community asset — something that belongs as much to local residents as it does to visitors. It will be robust, permanent, and designed to withstand daily use in a busy public space, while still offering comfort and dignity.
We don’t yet have funding in place for the bench and are aiming to raise around £2,500 to make it a reality. We’re currently exploring sponsorship and partnership opportunities, particularly with organisations that share our commitment to tackling loneliness, social isolation and depression, and supporting older residents in Cliftonville.
How You Can Help
If you’re a local organisation, business or community group that would like to partner with us and sponsor the Chatty Bench, we’d be very happy to hear from you. Sponsorship will help us bring this project to life and support our wider work to tackle loneliness and social isolation in Cliftonville.
If you’re a local resident and would like to get involved, volunteer, support the project, or simply share your thoughts, please get in touch.
Sometimes, all it takes to combat loneliness is a welcoming public place to sit — and someone to talk to.