A Bench overlooking Penarth Pier has been transformed in an aim to encourage the community to ‘sit, have a chat and potentially make new friends’.

In the wake of a vast increase in the number of callouts to mental-health related incidents around the UK, The Penarth RNLI has teamed up with the Vale of Glamorgan Council to create the ‘Friendship Bench’.

The bench, which has been painted orange and blue to represent the RNLI, is located the furthest away from the Pier.

Tom from RNLI Penarth said: “The bench is a work in progress at the moment- it’s planned to be a ‘Friendship Bench’ to encourage people to sit, have a chat and potentially make new friends”.

It is hoped the bench will be finished with signage in place within the next week.