R U OK? Conversation Corners All, Australia (2015)

Students at the heart of a new street furniture project

R U OK? promotes suicide prevention in Australia. Based on the premise that ‘a conversation could change a life’, the initiative asks people to check with family, friends and colleagues and ask, ‘R U OK?’

R U OK? launched 65 Conversation Corners in schools, sponsored by Yellow Pages, in 2015. The Conversation Corners serve as ongoing reminders for students to support one another.

65 schools were awarded a specially-designed bench.

Students at James Meehan High School in Macquarie Fields were among the first to launch a Conversation Corner. Head Teacher of Wellbeing, Sarah Jackson, said, “By putting young people at the heart of the project, they’re more likely to live the R U OK? message on a daily basis.

Street Furniture Australia produced the benches, which feature timber battens and stainless steel sides, with the ‘R U OK?’ logo.

Michelle Herbut, Custom Manager at Street Furniture Australia, said, “The brief was to develop a product that could be sent to schools around Australia and engage students during the R U OK? lesson plan. It was also important that the product be placed somewhere in the school to act as a constant visual reminder for the students to ask each other, ‘R U OK?’”

The decision to produce a folded metal bench seat came down to accessibility: a bench allows for up to 3 students to be seated at one time.

“Once we had decided on a bench, R U OK? realised that schools could install this wherever they liked, within a landscaped area or as part of an existing seating space. As it could be used as a bench or an area for kids to congregate, they thought it was a great way for the kids to encourage conversation. It also meant the schools could have this within their grounds for many years to come,” said Herbut.

R U OK? Campaign Director Rebecca Lewis says the custom bench is “the perfect solution”

“The benches look great! When the sun hits the bench, the letters even illuminate across the ground,” she says.

Students and teachers were guided through the project with an implementation kit.

“R U OK? wanted the kids to be engaged with the product, whether it was assembling or painting it, in order to make it unique to each school,” says Herbut.

The metal can be easily cleaned back and stripped of paint, so benches can be re-customised by students in the new school year and made their own.

The collaboration between SFA and R U OK? achieved a cost-effective product that has been embraced by participating schools.

“Street Furniture Australia was wonderful, and everything we look for in a partner: warm, collaborative and willing to brainstorm ideas that are ambitious but fall within budget,” says Lewis.

Due to the success of the project, Lewis hopes to expand its reach: “We’d love to produce and distribute more. We’re looking at ways to raise funds for this. At our core, R U OK? is about preventing suicide by inspiring people to have regular and meaningful conversations, and long before an issue is a crisis. Given that suicide is the biggest killer of secondary students, we want to do more to better equip our young people.”