At a time of year when most people are spending time with family and friends, there are many others who are feeling lonely and isolated. But now a Happy to Chat bench has launched in Jersey with the aim of encouraging people to talk to each other more.

A number of places in the UK have adopted such a bench and use the opportunity to encourage people to talk more. This can involve conversations about anything from the weather to your favourite sporting group, general interests of current affairs.

Following a number of emails exchanged between individuals and groups to the Parish of St Helier asking if benches could be introduced in Jersey. Ravenscroft sponsored the signs which were produced by SignTech.

'One of the things that Ravenscroft is passionate about is being connected with our clients. While technology is an important part of the service we offer, the relationships we have with our clients are built and strengthened by us talking to them and meeting them face to face. There is no substitute for talking to people which is why we wanted to support this fantastic initiative. We hope this is the first of many Happy to Chat benches in Jersey,' said Haydn Taylor, managing director of Ravenscroft in Jersey.

The first bench can be found in Millennium Park with others due to be created around St Helier early in 2020

'I welcome this initiative, which is part of a growing sense in the community of the importance of talking to one another and of the value of good communication. I hope it will bring comfort and companionship to many people who feel isolated,' said Simon Crowcroft from St Helier.

'This is a great opportunity to support the community and highlight the matters of loneliness and the importance of talking to each other throughout the year.'