A Hospice Isle of Man bid to get strangers talking to each other has won the support of Douglas Council.

The ’chat bench’ concept started in the UK and is intended to encourage people who share a space to talk to each other.

Councillors gave their unanimous backing to six benches throughout the capital during their February meeting.

The council’s regeneration and community committee had been approached by Hospice seeking funding and support for the scheme for 12 benches throughout Douglas. The committee agreed to support the scheme, but cut the number of benches to six.

In the council’s agenda, the ’chat bench’ is explained as being ’intended to break down the invisible social barriers that exist between strangers who find themselves sharing a common place’.

Hospice intends to roll out the scheme throughout the island after it launches in Douglas.

A Hospice spokesman said the benches are ’part of a growing sense of community to connect people by talking to one another’.

They added: ’Simply stopping to say "hello" to someone at a chat bench can make a huge difference. Whether a new mother, a recently relocated person to the island or someone living alone, the benches are an opportunity to strike up a conversation with someone new.

’They also give people who want to help people of their community a way to do so.’

Island wide, the benches have the support of various government bodies including the police and local authorities including Port St Mary and Castletown commissioners.

The council supported using existing benches in Douglas, painting them in Hospice colours, and installing signs. It will come at a cost of £500 coming from the existing park services budget.

Five locations throughout Douglas have been chosen, with two benches in the sunken gardens, one up Douglas Head, one in Noble’s Park, one at St George’s cemetery and the other at the lawn cemetery at Johnny Watterson’s lane.

Originally, the committee considered placing a bench at the Borough Cemetery, however it was felt that St George’s church was a better option.

The ’Happy to Chat’ initiative started in the UK by the charity Senior Citizen’s Liaison Team as a way to combat loneliness.

Since being launched in England, the scheme has been picked up in many towns and villages and has even spread to Jersey.

The charity behind the concept SCLT said: ’One of the best ways to effectively combat loneliness and isolation and also prevent the financial exploitation of vulnerable citizens through criminal befriending, is to establish environments where people can meet and share a chat.’

The chat benches will be launched in the island in time for Easter at the start of April.