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The Confederation of Community Groups (CCG) are installing a ‘Chatty Bench’ at their building at Ballybot House in Cornmarket, as part of the Organisations’ programme of events celebrating 50 years of its work in Newry community and beyond. The bench will be funded by the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, as part of their campaign to address loneliness.
The idea for the bench came out of the work that CCG currently do through the Good Morning Service, a telephone support service for older people and carers who are isolated and lonely.
Conor Keenan, OPCP joint co-ordinator explains “ The Chatty Bench is a perfect match for the work we do here in CCG, and all of our great partner organisations in Ballybot House. I suppose in our work, loneliness is a massive topic, and coming into work, I could often see people looking for a place to sit down and chat together.
The only part of the building outdoors is this space in the corner, and we thought if we could re-position our bike racks, we would have a great spot to allow those conversations to take place.”
There is a three – pronged approach to address the issues of loneliness, as explained by Martina McAloon, Social Work Lead for the Multi-Disciplinary Team in the Newry and District GP Federation.
“There are chatty benches, kindness post boxes, and small funding opportunities. The benches which now after CCG’s will number 15 in our area. They are a great way of facilitating conversation, and offering another tool that organisations in this Community hub can use in support their service users. Being next door to the Newry Health Village is a great link too with work being done at the surgery level and by our MDT Social Work Team.”
The bench is being designed and manufactured by CCG’s own Dermot Murphy, again an aim of the strategy to have benches locally produced. Dermot on the change it will bring:
“Its nice to see, even since we re-positioned the bike stands, people are using the space more, bringing chairs over, and allowing different groups to mix here. When the benches are installed along with the tables, we will have room for people to have their lunch outside, have a space for the groups in Ballybot House and An Storás (another building at Ballot House that’s sheltered and comfortable.”
Longer term, CCG have plans to landscape further around the bench area, adding greenery, potential vertical planting and other sensory / wellness planting.
Raymond Jackson , CEO of CCG added “In our 50th year, CCG are very happy to have this bench installed a way of linking and facilitating work doing by our own staff as well those in the Southern Trust and our partner organisations here in Ballybot House. There will be more events and initiatives to come, and it is a great privilege to work in this sector and area, and to keep providing resources and services for the people who need them most.”
For more info about CCG see ccgnewry.org and for more on the work of the Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT) see www.southernfsu.co.uk
