Take A Seat NZ, Let’s Chat About Big Things!

The Big Sheep and Sheepdog, the Big Takahe, the Big Paua, the Big Lemon and Paeroa Bottle, the Big Gumboot and the Big Carrot - New Zealand is home to 21 big things, but there’s something even bigger for Kiwis to talk about this September - mental health.

The creators of the Chatterbox Seat, Emily Turnbull and New Zealand street furniture specialists, Urban Effects are on a mission to put Chatterbox Seats in public spaces throughout Aotearoa and normalise a culture of open chat, connection and support this Mental Health Awareness Week (18-24 September 2023).

When Emily’s husband Darryl Paton died by suicide in 2019, there was only a handful of people who knew he had bipolar. Darryl felt deep self-stigma, believing that he would be treated differently or judged if people knew of his diagnosis, so he kept it a secret from friends and family. Emily's now on a mission to get Aotearoa more comfortable 'chatting about the big things'.

Designed to build awareness and help remove the stigma around mental health, the first Chatterbox Seat was installed at Point Chevallier beach in Auckland in time for last year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, with the support of the Auckland Council and the Albert-Eden Board.

This year, Emily and Urban Effects are calling on other councils to follow Auckland Council’s lead and take the simple, easy step of installing their own Chatterbox Seat to encourage people to connect through conversation.

The Gore District Council has already heeded the call purchasing two seats to place in a quiet space in the Gore Public Gardens and the other near their main War Memorial. The Council hopes that both sites will provide a space for people to sit, reflect, chat and appreciate the surroundings of their beautiful parks.

For every Chatterbox Seat installed, Urban Effects will donate one I Am Hope youth counselling session, Mike King’s mental health charity that provides counselling and mental health education for young people nationwide.
 

I Am Hope Founder, Mike King said “This is truly a brilliant and impactful idea. This initiative, where councils have the opportunity to contribute to I Am Hope with each installation of a Chatterbox bench, not only supports children's mental health in New Zealand but also emphasises the vital importance of meaningful conversations.”

“It's a brilliant way for local authorities to lead by example and foster dialogue that truly matters, Mr King said.

Urban Effects spokesperson Gayle Smith said the Chatterbox Seat is not just any ordinary, everyday piece of street furniture, it’s a symbol of a community’s support of wellbeing and mental health.

“The Chatterbox Seat provides an open invitation to pause, sit down, and truly connect with others. Whether those people are friends, family or strangers passing by - by sitting here, it means you’re keen to chat,” Ms Smith said.

“In a world where it’s often difficult to talk about how we’re feeling, the Chatterbox Seat reminds us that it’s perfectly okay not to be okay – and chatting about it really helps.”

“We need to make sure it feels as normal to chat about the big things, as it does to sit down on a bench in a park. Every chat is an opportunity to make a positive difference in someone’s life.’’

A Ministry of Health survey revealed that in 2021/22, the number of young people (15-24 years) experiencing high or very high psychological distressed had doubled in little more than a year, as had the number who had attempted suicide.

Connection is one of the simple, proven ways to boost wellbeing highlighted in Five Ways, Five Days, this year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Week, run annually by the Mental Health Foundation since 1993.

Designed and manufactured in New Zealand by Urban Effects, the bright and beautiful Chatterbox Seat features wide, platform-style seating with a comfortable backrest, making it the perfect spot to stop, breathe, relax and strike up a conversation. Signage on the seat provides people with a number to call to talk to a trained counsellor if they need support.

Contact Urban Effects on

Freephone: 0508 487 226

to order a Chatterbox Seat for your community.

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