Reaching out to both sides of the Tyne
The North East has recorded the highest suicide rate in England and Wales for three years in a row, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). But Wayne Groves doesn’t care about statistics. For him, just one life lost is one too many. Through ‘The Red Bench Project’, Wayne is aware of having saved at least four lives so far. He hopes to continue to save countless more by placing benches with distinct red legs in suicide hotspots across the region: “If you see someone sitting on the bench alone, please say hello, make sure they are ok. They could just be relaxing and enjoying the beautiful view, but they may be struggling and need help. You stopping for a chat could be enough to show them that they are not alone and that people do care. You could make all the difference!”
Since Wayne first posted his initial idea on Facebook in 2022, the scheme has gone from strength to strength, with several benches already installed in South Tyneside. The original Red Bench was placed in a location that has always been special to Wayne, next to the Sandancer pub. There are other benches at Marsden Grotto (one of the biggest suicide hotspots), at Mill Dam Customs House, in Jarrow and in Hebburn. There is now also a bench at Thurston Outdoor Education Centre in the Lake District and many more planned further afield. Over the past year, enquiries have come in from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Blackpool, Manchester, Leeds, Dorset, Kent, Cyprus and even Canada!
Wayne has engaged much interest due to his obvious passion for the cause, which stems from bitter personal experience: “I woke up in a hospital bed with my stomach being pumped. I had a very close call. Even when you are at the very bottom, the only way is up. But when you feel like that, you don’t know it. Knowing where to get help is crucial.” Each bench has a plaque displaying the number for the Samaritans and The Red Bench Project website, which, when fully complete, will contain a comprehensive directory of mental health services and support groups. Wayne aims to collaborate with as many groups and charities as possible. He has always been involved with fundraising from a young age and it is admirable how he highlights so many other good causes through his work, often putting other charities forward for funding before his own: “Life’s hard enough, so why not help each other out?”
You get back what you give, and Wayne’s South Shields based project has gained many supporters on both sides of the water. North Shields singer Liam Fender has donated one of his songs to be featured in a recent documentary about The Red Bench Project, filmed by local company, Seaspray Films. Wayne hopes to show the finished film at Cineworld in Boldon, where he already participates in many fundraising events. He would also like to involve North Tyneside’s Blue Door Project, which runs a movie-making group among other activities for people with learning disabilities. It really would be a red-carpet event for The Red Bench Project!
After the personal difficulties he has experienced, the Red Bench Project has given Wayne drive and purpose in his life. However, he states: “As anyone who has suffered from depression will know, it’s still a struggle.
You have to work at it.” Wayne has certainly worked tirelessly to help others, which in turn has enabled him to help himself. Aside from the charity, Wayne’s day job is running pub quizzes and hosting boxing matches. He has enjoyed a long friendship with Dani and Ollie from Bedford Street Boxing Club in North Shields and they are backing his project all the way, adorning their coaches’ and fighters’ kits with The Red Bench Project logo. Boxing has a long history in the town and Wayne is keen to promote the positive effect it can have on mental health, encouraging discipline and physical fitness. The club now has space for more members. No experience is needed and gloves are provided at no additional cost.
There are currently three Red Benches lined up for North Tyneside. Wayne is open to suggestions on where to put them, and he will work with the council and local police to establish the most appropriate locations. One possibility is next to the Gibraltar Rock in Tynemouth, where local poet and supporter of the project, Earl Charlton, actually pulled someone from the rocks nearby. Each bench is fully funded by The Red Bench Project, through sponsorship from local businesses or individuals.
Businesses can choose to have their details engraved on the bench’s plaque, as can individuals or families. One family has dedicated a bench to their daughter, who they lost tragically to suicide. Wayne is however keen to stress that they are not intended as memorial benches, and plaque inscriptions should have a positive message: “A Red Bench could give someone a place they can go to for peace. Taking a moment to sit may give someone contemplating suicide time to calm down so that they don’t go through with it.”
Recently Wayne has begun introducing The Red Bench Project to schools. At the time of writing, he was nervously anticipating an assembly with over 200 youngsters at Marsden Primary School. He was conscious that he would have to choose his approach carefully due to the sensitive nature of the topic when presenting it to children, but he believes that enabling young people to open up about mental health will be of great benefit to them. He is supplying the school with three benches, which the children can design, build and paint themselves.
They can be as creative as they like with the design, as long as each bench still has red legs! The Red Benches will be placed in various locations around the school grounds, with the idea that children will have somewhere to go for whatever reason, whether it be to have some calm time, to find someone to talk to or play with or to get help. Wayne hopes to work with more schools in South and North Tyneside in the future: “We need to educate our children so that they know there is help out there. Hopefully they will learn that they don’t have to be alone by the time they leave school.”
It is a wonder how Wayne manages to fit it all in. As well as his mental health, he is currently struggling with physical health issues, too. Nevertheless, he also finds time to run an online magazine, NE Online, dedicated to helping others.
Wayne aims to continue spreading as much information about where people can get support as possible: “There’s no one fix, no magic cure, and everybody is different. There are so many groups out there, though, that there is sure to be something to suit everyone.”
To find out more about The Red Bench Project and its associated charities, go to:
Facebook @TheRedBenchProject
