how does it work?

Want to have a brief chat, about anything, with a person you have never met before? Great! Simply take a seat on a buddi bench™ & wait until someone joins you.

We suggest you limit your chatting time to around 10 minutes. This enables as many people as possible to experience the buddi bench™. It also means that buddies never need chat for longer than they feel comfortable. It is surprising how much can be shared in less than 10 minutes.

If you decide you’d like to continue chatting then why not grab a coffee nearby?

Feel free to sit on the bench more than once but please do be mindful to share this resource with others.

If it appeals, come & meet Seth Hunter, the founder & head honcho of buddi bench™ & his puppy called May. Simply send Seth a direct email & we can arrange a mutually convenient time to chat.

That’s all there is to it.

See you on a buddi bench™!

origin of the idea

The inspiration behind buddi bench™?

Puppies & schools.

Walking a puppy or dog often involves a brief chat with other dog owners. Dog walking is like membership to a secret society you never new existed before you owned your furry friend. Why do dog walkers stop to chat when usually we would avoid eye contact and ignore a passing stranger? There is an unspoken rule that the chat with a fellow dog lover generally won’t last for more than 10 mins max!

Dog walkers chat about the weather and even exchange the odd nugget of wisdom with people we might not ordinarily ever meet. It seems this time boundary (& mutual love of furry pets!) gives us permission to be the pack animals humans really are. Isolation is not good for us on so many levels. If Covid has demonstrated anything, it is that humans need each other.

Some schools have a ‘friendship bench’ or ‘buddy bench’ which is a special place, in a school playground, where a child can go when they want to talk with someone.

Other children and staff will recognise this as a sign that some help, support or comfort is needed and will come to talk with the child.

The bench can be used at any time and for any reason - from small issues to more serious concerns - & encourages children to ask for help when they are troubled or simply in need of some company or wanting to play.

We thought this such a lovely idea that we wanted to offer the same support to adults.

how to find a buddi bench?

Currently there is only 1 buddi bench™. It lives in Calverley Gardens, near the basketball court entrance, Tunbridge Wells, UK. Details for the exact location can be found here.

Over time, we hope to provide buddi bench™ all over the UK & possibly world wide. Wouldn’t it be fun to have benches in New York, Paris & London too?

who funds the project?

Seth Hunter, founder & head honcho of buddi bench™, is the main funder for now. A few donors also support this project. Please feel free to help cover our costs by donating. Any funds will only be used to cover essential buddi bench™ project costs. We’re a not-for-profit & all those involved are unpaid volunteers. 100% of any donation goes directly to increasing the impact of this buddi bench™ project.

how can I support the project?

If you’d like to help more people to benefit from a buddi bench™ then please go to the donate page. A single bench currently costs £900 so your generosity would be very much appreciated. The bench is hand made and of very high quality seasoned oak & supports the local council that we have to purchase the bench from. As the scheme expands we hope to significantly reduce these costs.

is it safe?

Meeting a new person can always present some safety issues. We hope that the fact that you will be meeting in a public place during daylight hours, keeps things as safe as possible. We position our benches in spots that are popular with folk so most of the time you would be in sight of passing people. If you feel vulnerable it may be a good idea to text or call a friend before and after sitting on a buddi bench™, so someone can be mindful of your wellbeing.

With safeguarding in mind, initially this initiative is only for adults. If there is demand we hope to roll-out this project to schools too where teachers can keep things safe.

If you know of a spot that could really benefit from a buddi bench™ please do drop us a line.

how to report an issue or ask questions?

contact us:

Seth Hunter - founder & head honcho

seth@buddibench.org

phone: +44 7869 256 183

Seth has condensed 25+ years of his expertise in the fields of addiction and mental health & uploaded hundreds of his articles & presentation notes to this AI model.

This tech uses models like ChatGPT but takes it to the next level.

Topics you might like to explore:

mental health

- anxiety - anger - bipolar - depression - sleep - schizophrenia - trauma - OCD - & lots more

addiction issues - ANY substance or behaviour including:

- alcohol - food - sex - narcotics - internet - gaming - relationships - smoking

So Virtually Seth (VS) gives you:

- free 24/7 (365) access to Seth's brain

- the benefits of working with a buddi/coach/mentor sharing information & tips, on your terms

- no judgment

- no cost

- 100% confidential (your conversation is only read by AI - no humans are involved)

- no catch

Disclaimer

Virtual Seth (VS) is an artificially intelligent model ('trained' on Seth's knowledge & experience) and not a real person. We cannot be held responsible for any advice given. As a rough guide, treat this service as if you were having a chat & a coffee with Seth in a cafe. Insightful yet informal. Seth suggests you ALWAYS consult several professionals before taking any significant actions that might effect either your physical or mental health. This service is meant to be used in addition to other professional services, not instead of expert advise. Please exercise due caution. 😊

what’s the catch?

There really isn’t one. We simply want to bring people together. To encourage us all to judge less & listen more. To build personal & collective resilience.

So join us in our mission to create a kinder society:

1 bench, 1 chat, 10 mins at a time.