English Heritage launches ‘bonding benches’ to tackle parental isolation | English Heritage
Great stone circles, monasteries, castles and manors English Heritage have acted as places of meeting and mingling for centuries.
Now, to combat parental isolation, the charity is tapping into this sense of community by installing “connection benches” in many of its most famous venues.
The idea is that parents visiting places such as Stonehenge in Wiltshire and Tintagel Castle in Cornwall can meet others who want to chat about the challenges of raising children.
A feature of the mingling benches placed on all English Heritage pay sites will be a scrolling notification that people can set to “chat” or “request silence”.
In addition to the benches, English Heritage also initiates and hosts community activities for young families. National Childbirth Trust (NCT) Volunteer-led sling and carriage walks in selected areas.
Emma Fernandes-Lopes, deputy director of operations at English Heritage, said: “Modern parenting can be a truly isolating experience. Many parents live far away from their extended family and don’t have a support network to fall back on, and making friends with the same values and interests is often a real challenge.”
He said families make up more than a third of visits to English Heritage, so these sites are a good place for parents to connect.
“As parents, we are innate in prioritizing our children’s wellbeing. We take them to wonderful places like English Heritage sites to explore the outdoors and broaden their horizons. But we often forget that the key to children’s wellbeing actually lies in whether their parents feel happy and supported.”
Places such as castles, stately homes and stone circles are community centres, Fernandes-Lopes said. “These were places where people gathered. We want to make sure we take advantage of that.”
English Heritage highlighted Research from NCT It shows that two-thirds of new parents feel lonely or isolated at least some of the time, and almost 90% feel overwhelmed at least some of the time. Almost a quarter of new parents said they didn’t have a strong support network around them.
Baglama benches will be placed in areas where families are concentrated, such as playgrounds or open pastures.
Fernandes-Lopes said: “I’m a mother of three and I’ve been there too. Parenting can be a magical time, but it can also be difficult. I think we’re very aware that we can play a part in helping with this growing problem of loneliness and isolation.”
“We’re excited to be setting up these mingling benches ahead of the half-term break. We think we have the space and widespread sites across the UK to help tackle this issue. I hope parents can make connections and friendships to help combat some of this loneliness.”
He said the sliders meant parents could make it clear they wanted a few minutes of peace and quiet. “We recognize that each day can feel very different for a parent, from one day to the next or from one visit to the next.”
NCT marches It will be held at Audley End in Essex, Kenwood in north London, Marble Hill in south-west London, Wrest Park in Bedfordshire and Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire.
Family visitors to English Heritage sites can also pick up a “list of adventurous tasks”, including finding signs of animal life, splashing in puddles and making “silly noises” in echoey places.
