World Mental Health Day: Northants school children receive buddy bench to combat loneliness

Higham Ferrers Nursery and Infant School received the friendship bench for children to use when they need to talk to somebody or are in need of a friend.

World Mental Health Day is celebrated on this day every year, highlighting the importance of addressing mental wellbeing, finding appropriate help resources and creating a culture of openness across the board.

Jane Toyer, Headteacher at Higham Ferrers Nursery and Infant School said: “We’d like to thank Platform Home Ownership for the generous donation of a buddy bench which will help children build friendships, show kindness and support each other, fostering a community where every child feels valued and included.

“We’re delighted to introduce the buddy bench during World Mental Health Day, when it’s especially important to raise awareness of open dialogue around mental health and the importance of encouraging new relationships among children.”

Vanessa Latty, Sales Consultant at Platform, said: “We’re pleased to have supplied the pupils at Higham Ferrers with this buddy bench which is testament to our commitment to giving back to the communities we provide homes for.

“Mental health is such an important issue, and it’s so important that we keep encouraging conversations from an early age.”

Platform is providing a charming collection of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes in Higham Ferrers, available through Shared Ownership and expertly-crafted by HarperCrewe.

Shared Ownership allows home seekers to purchase a share of their home and pay rent on the remaining amount, typically buying between 10% and 75% of the property’s full market value, depending on the model purchased with.

This lowers the amount needed for a deposit, with most deposits on Shared Ownership schemes between 5% and 10% of the share and not the full amount.