The Kind Heart Bench Project, an initiative to create awareness around mental health and issues affecting young people, unveiled a bench at the home of a Crawford life coach.
It’s the first time since the project started in 2014 that one of the benches has been placed at a private residence.
A partnership between the project’s founder, Bradley Bailey, and life coach, Lamees Meyer, led to the placement of the bench at her house.
Ms Meyer is the founder of There’s More To Life (TMTL), an online platform where she hosts shows about health and wellness, self-care, disability, and entrepreneurship, among others.
The bench is also in memory of her late grandmother, Diana Meyer. At the same event, Ms Meyer also launched her book, Keeping You Motivated.
These bright yellow benches are usually placed on school grounds or other public spaces, serving as a visual reminder that it is okay to speak about your struggles. Mr Bailey said his motivation for this initiative started when one of his relatives was bullied.
“I realised something needed to be done after a family member of mine was bullied at a prominent school. While doing research, I learnt that so many families were dealing with trauma. This is how The Kind Heart Bench Project started. The idea is that the bench is a safe space to deal with mental health challenges. The bench is a conduit – a visual aid, and the yellow speaks about the bravery of those affected. You can sit and take a breather or speak to someone. Someone who was bullied can become a peer facilitator and stop another person from committing suicide,” Mr Bailey said.
Ms Meyer said she met Mr Bailey while doing an interview with him for a community radio station about The Kind Heart Bench Project. This resonated with her and she felt they “needed to bring this home”.
From there, Ms Meyer approached several partners to support the project.
“Sometimes you don’t have to talk to anybody. Sometimes, I just need a moment, or to talk to the Almighty. As a personal development coach, I will use the bench for my clients as well,” she said.
Ms Meyer’s TMTL videos, which are on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, will also be recorded while on the bench. In this way, they hope to create more awareness about The Kind Heart Bench project.
