Swanshurst Park Friendship Bench Chat

My second Friendship Bench Chat was with Humera sitting on a bench on a breezy day in Swanshurst Park (note to self remember to take the furry microphone next time.)

Humera is a Public Health Consultant and lead the Future Parks Accelerator project in Birmingham – The Naturally Birmingham Project and a Friend of Swanshurst Park.

You can find out more about the Friends of Swanshurst Park here: https://bosf.org.uk/members/swanshurst-park-friends-of/

Entering the park at Swanshurst Lane, passing the community noticeboard and heading towards the lake you very quickly find traditional park benches along the lake side, a perfect place to stop and chat about us, nature and parks and ask the question are you OK?

We knew through our Earth Stories project that people often have fond memories of nature and green spaces and also have hopes for the future of them, but don’t always have a chance to share those stories and thoughts.

I stopped Humera for a couple of minutes in her very busy and active day to arrange to meet and sit down together for a chat. Talking and walking is also a brilliant way to keep active and share thoughts with friends and I would encourage you to do that as well and may be walk together to the park. Or as Humera did you can cycle to a green space. But there is something special about stopping to look around you and watch the world go by or as we did spend time focused on each other by simply sharing and listening.

It was overcast with grey clouds but it was dry and we had a view of the lake where ducks and moorhens were going about their business also chatting to each other as they did so.

You can listen in to our conversation where Humera introduces herself and describes her day so far before I ask her if she is OK and we discuss the importance of benches and why we feel getting out and connecting with nature and each other can make our day even better.

With work meetings in the diary we bid each other a fond farewell and both left our bench to return back to our busy days. But as I walked along the road I looked back at the bench and smiled recalling the conversation and laughter and looking forward to our next meet up.

A 10 minute top-up of nature and friendship, it does require a bit of planning, a green space and a bench but it’s really worth it. Why not try it or if this is something you do any way why not share your favourite chatting places with us.