The members of the Walkinstown Greenhills Resource Centre and Walkinstown Mens Shed presented a Buddy Bench to St Damien's National School. The Buddy Bench is an American concept that has spread to Europe, where it provides a space for children to support each other, accept diversity, and work out challenges together. The school principal was pleased to receive the gift and recognized that the bench will help support children's mental health and identify issues early. The Mens Shed hopes to introduce more schools to the Buddy Bench concept.

1. Buddy Bench

2. On Monday 27th March the members of WGRC and the Walkinstown Greenhills
Resource Centre and the Walkinstown Mens Shed presented a Buddy Bench to
St Damien’s National School

3. The concept of the ‘Buddy Bench’ is an American idea, where it has quickly
taken off and captured the imagination of many other jurisdictions throughout
Europe. The Buddy Bench acts as a space where children work out together how
to support and accept themselves and each other, in all their uniqueness,
diversity and challenges.

4. School Principal Aodh O’Connor was very pleased to accept this gift from the
Mens Shed and recognised that it will play a very important role in supporting
school children to maintain good mental health and will also prove invaluable in
the early identification of difficulties should they arise.

5. It is safe to say that the staff and pupils at St Damien’s NS will enjoy the bench
just as much as the staff of WGRC and the Mens Shed did.

6. The Mens Shed are keen to introduce
this novel idea into as many schools as
possible and would welcome the
interest of local schools. For further
information you can contact Willy
Crowley at 086 082 0423 or Dermot
Phillips at 01 416 8320.