District Attorney Marian Ryan Launches “Let’s Connect Initiative” By Dedicating Bench in Lowell to Encourage Social Connection

LOWELL – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Consul General Dr. Peter Abbott from the Office of the British Consulate General in Boston and Lowell Mayor Sokhary Chau today cut the ribbon to officially designate a new bench that will serve as a “Happy to Chat” space in Lowell as part of District Attorney Ryan’s “Let’s Connect Initiative” that aims to encourage social connection and bring people together.

“The issue of loneliness and diminished feelings of connectivity has in some way impacted virtually everyone over the past three years.  It is something that spans generations and has brought on global attention as professionals from health care to government leaders and even professional sports seek a way to bring people together in the age of smart phones and virtual meetings. The launch of this new initiative builds on international best practices while being rooted in the mission of my Office to improve public safety through innovative prevention, which includes addressing things like loneliness that impact physical and mental health,” said District Attorney Ryan.

The benches are modeled after an initiative by Manchester United Football Club. In March the team installed several of these “Happy to Chat” benches in a bid to tackle loneliness.  The idea of these benches began in the United Kingdom in 2019 but has now found global reach.

“The United Kingdom has been a leader on the issue of loneliness and I am very proud to have the British Consulate’s support as we try to grow our program here. In addition to the toll on a person’s body, in law enforcement we have seen loneliness create vulnerability that can be cause for concern. I am hopeful that the cities that receive these benches use them to begin a larger dialogue about this issue and that the program improves an overall sense of community for people of all ages,” District Attorney Ryan continued.

“I’m delighted to be supporting the “Let’s Connect” initiative in Lowell, building on the ground-breaking work that the UK has been doing on mental health, including by the Premier League soccer team, Manchester United, who pioneered the “Happy to Chat” benches, and under the leadership of the Prince and Princess of Wales with their mental health initiative, “Heads Together”. With a deep awareness of the need in both America and the US to tackle loneliness and build community connection at a time when the world feels disconnected from those immediately around us, the ‘Happy to Chat’ benches show once again how our two nations work together to build resilient and caring communities.”

“With the partnership of DA Marian Ryan, the City has pioneered a new initiative on the forefront of mental health. I hope neighbors, both young and elderly, will sit at this bench and see it as a gesture of peace and patience and that the city is a place in which they feel welcomed and belonged,” said Mayor Chau.

"We are thrilled that District Attorney Ryan thought of Lowell Public Schools when looking for a spot to place a bench in Lowell," said Lowell Public Schools Interim Superintendent Liam Skinner. "The Moody School is the perfect location for a bench meant to bring people of all ages together and combat loneliness.  The children at the Moody have a wonderful relationship with the seniors who live at Rogers Hall next door and this bench is another opportunity for them to connect. We truly appreciate this gesture."

Today’s event was also attended by Lowell City Manager Thomas Golden, Lowell Police Superintendent Greg Hudon, Lowell City Councilor Rita Mercier, players from the University of Massachusetts Lowell men’s soccer team, Head of Lowell Catholic Maryellen DeMarco, Associate Principal of Student Services for Lowell Catholic Brittany Conley and players from the Lowell Catholic High School boys and girls soccer teams. 

 District Attorney Ryan’s commitment to this issue began in 2019 with an inaugural meeting on the public health crisis of loneliness. The event, held in partnership with Newton Wellesley Hospital brought together a panel of experts to identify the issue of loneliness and to explore the root causes.

Since that time District Attorney Ryan has remained committed to addressing this intergenerational issue.

The Office regularly partners with Senior Centers and Councils on Aging to educate them on this issue and offer tips on improving connections and avoiding scams that often thrive in secrecy and can be exacerbated when a victim feels isolated.

Further, in the wake of the global pandemic it became even clearer that many of the causes of loneliness had been magnified and were impacting our young people in a way educators and parents felt unprepared to address. District Attorney Ryan has partnered with leaders in the fields of education and health care to bring informative presentations those working with and caring for youth to help examine the impact of the pandemic on young people including a presentation from the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds.

The “Happy to Connect” bench is located at Moody School on Rogers Street in Lowell, a perfect place to spark connections with people of all ages.  In the coming months benches will also be placed in the communities of Framingham, Medford and Everett.