A MOVEMENT to improve the mental health and wellbeing of Londoners is joining with Ealing Council to create a Happy to Chat bench.
The aim is to encourage people to stop and have a chat as a way to tackle loneliness in the borough.
Rupa Huq, MP for Ealing Central and Acton MP, tested Ealing’s very own bench, on Ealing Green, opposite Pitzhanger Manor.
She said: “It’s important for people to stop, take a minute out of their day and talk to other people.”
Kate Shurety, executive director of the Campaign to End Loneliness, said: “Our research shows that small moments of connection, like smiling to someone on the street, or stopping for a chat when you’re walking the dog in the park, can make a huge difference to someone who is feeling lonely.”
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