The Kind Heart Bench, a safe space aimed at tackling mental health, was unveiled at the Retreat train station on Tuesday 30 April.
The first of its kind for public transport spaces, the bench is the brainchild of Bradley Bailey, the founder of the Kind Heart Bench project.
“The day arrived when we unveiled the bench on the Retreat station, a historic event. What we want to create is a safe space where you can have a conversation with someone and know that there are support structures.
“If it saves just one life, then it is successful,” says Bailey.
The initiative was a collaboration between Metrorail Western Cape and project sponsors in the field of wellness and mental health including Safer Spaces; Western Cape on Wellness (WOW); Hope House Counselling Centre and the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG).
The original idea for the Kind Heart Bench project came about after a family member was bullied, says Bailey.
“A family member got bullied and then mental health became an issue.
“This bench is a safe space to open dialogues, to be seen and heard because the marginalised are not often seen.”
The Kind Heart Bench is the eighth one to be implemented in Cape Town.
According to Bailey, when a person does an act of kindness it prompts someone else to do the same.
“I feel that when you do an act of kindness or if you see someone do an act of kindness you are prompted to do the same. What small act can you do to be kind? Just a simple hello, perhaps. Often people are not heard and not listened to either.”
The bench serves as a visual aid to communicate and encourage people to sit, breathe, relax and take a moment to have a conversation with someone or alternatively to contact SADAG’s 24-hr Toll-Free helpline number which is printed on the bench.
Fatima Seedat, development manager from SADAG, says more conversations should be created around mental health.
“SADAG welcomes this initiative as the more conversations we create about mental health, the more people reach out for help, we can create hope and save many lives.
“Society and the commuting environment can serve as that support, the backrest, and armrest promoting inclusiveness, love and kindness, shifting perceptions and fostering optimism, through cooperation and engagement, that things can and will improve.”
Meanwhile, according to Metrorail Western Cape, the Retreat station was identified as one of the areas that would add value as a “safe space”.
“One of the identified spots for this exercise is the Retreat Station on the southern line, as it is one of our tourist routes. The bench will also serve as a safe space for those who need help thereby interacting in a comfortable area.
“The project’s main message is that society and commuters can serve as a support, a backrest and armrest for people who are depressed and need someone to talk to.
“The kind heart bench initiative aims to shift people’s perceptions about mental health and fosters optimism.”
Important contact details, which will be engraved on the bench for anyone needing assistance regards to mental health is 0800 567 567 or WhatsApp 076 882 2775.
