Community, Personal Development
“Only connect! … Live in fragments no longer.”*

Loneliness is a serious health condition. One AARP study found that prolonged social isolation can have the same risks as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. A new initiative in the UK, sponsored by the local cops, aims to combat the problem by making it easier for people who feel alone to socialize with strangers.



“For people who feel isolated in their daily lives, the benches are an opportunity to make a connection with someone new. They also give people who want to help the lonely members of their community a way to do so.”

* “Only connect! That was the whole of her sermon. Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer.” - E.M. Forster

Article: English Towns Are Installing ‘Chat Benches’ to Combat Loneliness