A concept used in Germany and the US, the buddy bench aims to connect children who can’t find a friend to play with or who may be feeling left out. 

Longford principal Andrea Tiffin thanked Longford Rotary and the Longford Men’s Shed for their assistance in getting the project off the ground. 

​”We hope that students who find navigating the playground challenging, will feel a greater sense of success in the playground and ultimately stronger connection with peers through utilising the buddy bench,” Mrs Tiffin said. 

“We want our students to be kind and be able to empathise with others and the buddy bench is a way for other children to demonstrate kindness and caring towards someone who is feeling lost, sad or lonely.

“While the buddy bench is not an entirely new concept, it is new to us, and it is hoped that other schools will see the benefits and take up the idea.

“Most importantly, we hope to make the playground a happy place for all our students.”