Homebuilder Donates Buddy Bench To Cottam School To Encourage Friendship

Close to the housebuilder’s Cottam Gardens development in Cottam, which has now sold out, the school has received three friendship benches for children to use to talk to one another, make new friends or chat with current friends. The benches include the inscription ‘We sit, we chat and ask each other questions. We leave as friends, with all good intentions’.

Anti-Bullying Week, founded by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, annually encourages the discussion of mental health in an attempt to stop bullying and create safe environments for children.

Kellie Rainford, Headteacher at Cottam Primary School, said: “We are delighted with our new buddy benches. It’s so important to create a safe and caring environment for children so that they are able to talk about their feelings. Children are already using the benches every day, whether to find a friend to play with, chat to an adult or sit with their own friends for a chat.

“They are a super addition to our outside space and we are very grateful to Barrett Homes for donating the benches to us.”

The Anti-Bullying Alliance recognises that a small conversation can make a big difference. The organisation has reached millions of people across England and has begun to improve attitudes and behaviours towards mental health problems.

Alan Watt, Sales Director at Barratt Homes Manchester, said: “We hope that by donating a friendship bench, children at Cottam Primary School will have the chance to talk openly to each other and staff members about how they’re feeling.

“Anti-Bullying Week is an important initiative worldwide, and we relish the opportunity to reach out to schools and organisations within our community and provide support for such a deserving cause.”

For more information about homes in the county, visit the website at Barratt Homes in Lancashire.