Skip to main content
Home
Accessibility Tool
  • Zoom in
  • Zoom out
  • Reset
  • Contrast
  • Accessibility help
Other languages

Language

Disclaimer

This website provides a translate function to accommodate our diverse audience. However, translations are automated and may not fully capture the nuances of the original language. For critical information, please refer to the source text.

Close
Search

People often search for...

When should I test my smoke alarm?
Home safety visits
Thatch fire safety
Report a problem with a fire hydrant
How safe is my heater?
Chimney fires
Close
  • Home
  • Safety advice
    Back
    Safety advice
      • Safety at home
        Back
        Safety at home
        • How to stay safe
        • Smoke alarms
        • Risks in your home
        • Advice for parents
        • Advice for carers
      • Business safety
        Back
        Business safety
        • Risk assessments
        • High rise buildings
        • Guidance for businesses
        • Landlords and holiday lets
        • Inspections and enforcement
        • Farms and agriculture
      • Safety outdoors
        Back
        Safety outdoors
        • Animal and bird rescues
        • Water safety
        • Wildfires
        • Rescue incidents and tips to avoid them
      • Safety on the road
  • About us
    Back
    About us
      • Our people
      • Our fire stations
      • Fleet and equipment
      • How we respond to emergency calls
      • Community Risk Management Plan
      • In your area
      • Information and data transparency
      • What we spend
      • Our performance
      • Request information
      • Have your say
        Back
        Have your say
        • Complaints
        • Compliments
        • Public consultations
      • Developing our Service
      • Our environmental strategy
      • Equality and diversity
      • Work with us
      • Community events
        Back
        Community events
        • Community conversations
      • Customer Charter
      • Sexual Safety Charter
      • Fire Authority(link is external)
      • Fire, rescue and safety training (Red One)(link is external)
      • Firefighters' pensions board
      • Armed Forces Covenant
  • Newsroom
    Back
    Newsroom

    Latest news

    A close up image of a fire engine door with a DSFR logo
    News
    23 May 2025

    Inspection report praises emergency response and Service’s awareness of areas to improve

    Biker Down attendees at SHQ celebrate 10 years
    News
    14 May 2025

    Major milestone for our Biker Down workshops

    • Incidents
    • News
    • Events
    • Social media
  • Careers
    Back
    Careers
      • Vacancies
      • Become an on-call firefighter
        Back
        Become an on-call firefighter
        • Application process (on-call)
      • Become a wholetime firefighter
        Back
        Become a wholetime firefighter
        • Application process (wholetime)
      • The role of a firefighter
      • The role of a fire control operator
        Back
        The role of a fire control operator
        • Become a fire control operator
      • Support staff roles
      • Looking after our people
        Back
        Looking after our people
        • Embracing equal opportunities
        • Supporting women in the Service
      • Pay rates
      • Benefits
      • Request a careers talk
  • Education and young people
    Back
    Education and young people
      • Early years, reception and year one
      • Primary schools
        Back
        Primary schools
        • Primary school fire safety visits
        • Great Fire of London
      • Secondary schools
      • Safety resources for children and young people
        Back
        Safety resources for children and young people
        • Fire and road safety resources
      • Fire starting behaviour in children
      • Join the fire cadets
      • Scout and Guide groups - awards and badges
      • Young drivers
      • Work experience

Contact

  • Contact us

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Somerset's First Mental Health Support Bench Unveiled
FacebookXEmailWhatsappMessenger Share
News
10 Oct 2024

Somerset's first mental health support bench unveiled

Four people standing by a green bench in a park
Amy Hardwick, Cllr Bill Revans, Steve Smith and Clare Stone in Vivary Park

A new initiative spearheaded by community safety charity SAFE South West, and in collaboration with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, Somerset Council, Devon County Council and a range of other organisations, has unveiled Somerset's first mental health support bench in Taunton’s Vivary Park.

The bench will provide a place where people can stop and take a moment to access mental health resources, in recognition that sometimes people in distress often struggle to reach out for help.

The bench is made from recycled plastic and can easily be spotted by its green colour and invitation to ‘COME SIT WITH US' written across the back. It is fitted with a plaque that has a scannable QR code which signposts to a range of helpful resources, including The Samaritans, SHOUT’s text helpline, Open Mental Health’s website and an opportunity to read or listen to Somerset’s Letter of Hope. The arms of the bench also have plaques with the phone numbers of The Samaritans and SHOUT's text helpline.

There are plans to place new benches or to fit the plaques to existing benches across the South West, including initially at Nine Elms Country Park in Yeovil, Glastonbury High Street, Bridgwater, Barnstaple, Bath and West Showground and Newton Abbott. Interest in the project has now extended to Cornwall and Plymouth.

For more information contact Steve Smith ssmith@dsfire.gov.uk

Steve Smith from SAFE South West has led the project said:

"The initial idea came from a firefighter Adam Johnson in Barnstaple and from Clare Stone, an Open Mental Health Expert by Experience, who became involved after being inspired by a similar initiative set up by a family bereaved by suicide in London.  

"What we have tried to do is to make it easy for people, whether they are a bit down or in crisis, to reach a range of options to support them. In each county the QR code information will be slightly different to reflect local services and support available."

 

Open Mental Health Expert by Experience Clare Stone said:

"I felt that all the messages from society and the media are for people in crisis to ‘just reach out’ and I really wanted to find a way for the community to ‘reach in’. 

"It is often really difficult for people who are in crisis to pick up the phone and talk or to find the words to ask for help, so it felt important that there were other options such as texting, reading or listening. I really hope this will help others to feel less alone in their struggles and that by listening to others who have experienced mental health difficulties themselves it may offer hope and reassurance that they are worthy of support."

Looking after our people

Find out more

Footer menu

  • Home
  • Safety advice
      • Safety at home
      • Business safety
      • Safety outdoors
      • Safety on the road
  • About us
      • Our people
      • Our fire stations
      • Fleet and equipment
      • How we respond to emergency calls
      • Community Risk Management Plan
      • In your area
      • Information and data transparency
      • What we spend
      • Our performance
      • Request information
      • Have your say
      • Developing our Service
      • Our environmental strategy
      • Equality and diversity
      • Work with us
      • Community events
      • Customer Charter
      • Sexual Safety Charter
      • Fire Authority(link is external)
      • Fire, rescue and safety training (Red One)(link is external)
      • Firefighters' pensions board
      • Armed Forces Covenant
    • Newsroom
      • Incidents
      • News
      • Events
      • Social media
    • Careers
        • Vacancies
        • Become an on-call firefighter
        • Become a wholetime firefighter
        • The role of a firefighter
        • The role of a fire control operator
        • Support staff roles
        • Looking after our people
        • Pay rates
        • Benefits
        • Request a careers talk
    • Education and young people
        • Early years, reception and year one
        • Primary schools
        • Secondary schools
        • Safety resources for children and young people
        • Fire starting behaviour in children
        • Join the fire cadets
        • Scout and Guide groups - awards and badges
        • Young drivers
        • Work experience

Translate the website

Footer contact

  • Contact us

Staff login

Always call 999 in an emergency

Did you find this page useful

  • Yes
  • No

Follow us

  • Facebook(link is external)
  • Twitter(link is external)
  • Youtube(link is external)
  • Instagram(link is external)
  • Linkedin(link is external)
  • Follow us
  • Print this page

Footer bottom

  • Our website
  • Sitemap
  • Cookies
  • Privacy notices
  • Modern Slavery Act 2015
  • Accessibility

Disability Confident employer logoEmployers Network for Equality and Inclusion logoBritish Quality Foundation logoEmployers network for equality and inclusion logoFire pride and allies logo Armed Forces Covenant