English Heritage to bring ‘bonding benches’ to castles to tackle parental isolation
“Link benches” are being introduced at English Heritage properties to help parents taking their children on historic day trips meet other family adventurers.
In a bid to tackle the growing problem of parental isolation, “connection benches” will be installed in all of the charity’s castles and historic homes to help new parents develop their support network by striking up conversations with other visitors.
Before the semester break, “connection benches” will be installed in historical places, playgrounds or areas where families concentrate, such as open pastures. The benches will have sliders that can be moved between ‘I’m ready for conversation’ and ‘I crave silence’ depending on your mood.
This follows recent research from NCT (National Childbirth Trust) which shows 62 per cent of new parents feel lonely or isolated at least some of the time, while 87 per cent feel overwhelmed. The report, published last month, also found that almost a quarter (23 per cent) of new parents said they did not have a strong support network around them.
Families account for around 35 per cent of all visits to English Heritage’s more than 400 sites, including medieval castles, Roman forts and even a Cold War bunker; so the charity felt it was well placed to bring together like-minded parents. With the new initiative, they hope to help families take the first step in starting conversations and connecting with people while their children play.
Emma Fernandes Lopes, assistant director of operations at English Heritage, said: “As parents, we are innate in prioritizing our children’s wellbeing. We take them to wonderful places such as 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.”
“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. As families make up more than a third of all English Heritage visits, we want to use our sites to help parents make these essential connections.”
The charity will also host community activities for young families and sling and carriage walks led by NCT volunteers in selected areas. These free walks, led by volunteers, hope to allow new, pre-schoolers and expectant mothers to meet in the fresh air and share their experiences. 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.
More volunteers are being sought to run walks at other English Heritage sites.
