'Buddy bench' installed at Shropshire school to help kids make new friends
School pupils looking to buddy up can use a new bench in the schoolyard to find companionship.
A new 'buddy bench' has been donated to Audlem St James Primary School in Audlem, near Market Drayton, by developers McCarthy and Stone.
The brightly-coloured bench installed in the playground is a place where children can go if they are looking for a friend.
McCarthy and Stone are behind the Lyme Wood Grange development in Audlem.
Fiona Brooks, regional sales and marketing director at McCarthy and Stone North West, said: “We are delighted that Audlem St James Primary School are making full use of the buddy bench.
"We understand how important it is for people of any age to feel a sense of belonging and to have a friend they can turn to when they feel the need to talk. Loneliness isn’t just something that affects older people – it can affect everyone, whatever their age.
"We hope pupils at Audlem St James Primary School continue to develop long-lasting friendships from the bench.”