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Coasties walking through Moenui Reserve may have noticed a new addition to the park, a Chatterbox bench designed to encourage people to stop, sit and chat.
The colourful bench aims to spark human connection and raise awareness about mental health by making it easier for people to engage in conversation.
The benches are the initiative of Emily Turnbull, who founded the Chatterbox charity after losing her husband, Darryl, to suicide in 2019. Wanting to change the culture around mental health, Turnbull came up with the idea of installing benches in public spaces where people could connect. The Ōrewa bench is the twelfth to be installed across New Zealand.
“The goal is to normalise talking about the big things, to empower people to open up and reduce the stigma around mental health,” the charity says.
Beside the seat is a bilingual (English and te reo Māori) plaque with a QR code linking to resources and contact details for support services.
The Ōrewa bench was installed with the support of ASB Bank, More FM Rodney 88.9, the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board, and the Ōrewa-Millwater Rotary Club. The Board will maintain the seat.
Turnbull said the project came together through strong local support, starting when MediaWorks North regional manager Anna McGovern reached out about bringing a bench to the Coast. Ōrewa ASB branch manager Lisa Trist then sought funding from the ASB Community Trust, with Rotary also contributing.
Trist said the bench reflected ASB’s community values. “I told my team that if they see someone sitting there, they should go and have a chat,” she said.
Turnbull said the setting was ideal. “It’s peaceful and calming by the ocean, and you have a unique community here. Everyone is becoming more aware that we have a problem, and we can make an impact simply by asking others, ‘How are you?’”
