LAST week some striking ‘bee benches’ were installed in primary schools in Dawlish as part of a project by local CIC Roots Community Enhancement.

The benches will create a space where children can explore their own and their peers’ mental wellbeing.

It’s hoped the benches’ colourful design will encourage children to ‘bee brave enough to talk, bee-friend others and bee a good friend’.

Roots director and mental health nurse, Rosie Dawson started working on the project in the summer.

She explained: ‘This project is all about teaching young people that it’s ok to have struggles, that talking can help and that kindness is key in our communities.

‘We offer to support schools’ use of the benches going forward, by attending assemblies or chatting with young people at the bench, should they need help to motivate the children to use and nurture this space.

‘Children’s mental health should always be top of any agenda, as our adults and parents of tomorrow, and particularly now given the pandemic that we are currently experiencing.’

The seats have been provided by the locality fund held by Devon County Councillor Martin Wrigley, the eco-friendly benches have been designed and manufactured by Devon Contract Waste in Exeter with signage from Dawlish-based company Swift Print.

Funder Cllr Martin Wrigley said: ‘I am delighted to be able to help this project, and the school children have been so enthusiastic about the new benches. I am sure that they will be a great help in allowing the children to open up about mental health issues. It should be as natural as talking about a broken arm!’

Once the bench funding was found for Gatehouse Primary Academy, Westcliff Primary Academy, Cockwood School and Orchard Manor School, Rosie received notification that the National Lottery was awarding a further grant to provide benches for Starcross School and three Teignmouth primaries. Manufacturing is currently underway.

Made from recycled plastic, the heavy, L-shaped benches will not require maintenance for many years. Roots director Gill Brown (who attended the launch dressed as a bee with fellow director Kerry Good), added: ‘It’s really important to us as an organisation that we consider the environmental impact of all we do in the community.’

Roots provide services for Dawlish, Teignmouth and surrounding villages, including parent groups, anxiety support, a bereavement group, baby massage and HOPE training with Torbay NHS. This is done not for profit, made possible through small grants, donations and the support of The National Lottery Community Fund.

Emily Almond, business support manager at Devon Contract Waste who supplied the benches, said: ‘What an absolutely brilliant project to be a part of! It’s an amazing honour to provide these benches to local schools for children to Bee Friendly, make friends and support each other.

‘The benches are made locally with local plastic, so it’s fantastic to manufacture this into a bench that will last decades for these local schools, helping thousands of children in the lifetime of the furniture. Mental health is something we truly care about at DCW so we see the importance of items such as these in supporting young children. An incredible project supporting the mental health of children as well as the environment.’

Paul Donkersloot, Headteacher of Orchard Manor said: ‘We are extremely grateful that Roots Community Enhancement have donated a bench to our school as part of their Bee Bench Project. 

‘We love it, and the bright colours really make it stand out! The bench has been carefully positioned on our primary based campus so that all primary aged pupils can easily access it.

‘We can’t wait to see pupils using it on a day to day basis and are sure that it will help our young people to forge new friendships.  The wellbeing of young people is such a big topic at the moment, particularly after 18 months of uncertainty due to Covid, and we are certain that this bench will support our young people’s wellbeing and start important conversations between both pupils and staff.  We want to say a big thank you to everyone involved in this project, it is a wonderful idea that will impact on so many young people.’