Benches help school yard connections

MEMBERS of Alfredton Rotary Club have been working to provide primary students with a safe space to come out of their shells and make new friends.

Group members have installed more than 30 buddy benches at local schools, with the outdoor furnishings designed to encourage socialisation and mental health support.

Alfredton Rotary Club member Marg Lee is serving as project lead for the initiative.

“The way this came about is we saw an article in a different region around buddy benches,” she said.

“We at Alfredton Rotary have the Eatup program so there’s already that connection with local schools so we sent the invite out to them and asked if there was a need for this.

“We’ve sent more than 30 benches out to schools some even as flatpacks to get kids out of the classroom to build themselves.

“Some have been painted with rainbow patterns through a working bee we had with other Rotarians.”

Schools that have received the buddy benches include Buninyong, Lucas, Haddon, Napoleons primaries.

The project was supported with funds from Community Bank Buninyong as well as donations from community members, with the majority of benches delivered just before the start of the school term.

Delacombe Primary School acting assistant principal Michael Columbro said the buddy bench has been seeing a lot of use from pupils.

“We’ve already seen a number of students during recess and lunch just sitting there and chatting,” he said.

“It’s a safe space for students to come and sit and it’s an inviting spot students know they can go to and there’ll always be something there waiting for them or someone will come over and greet them.”