BENCH MARK

Netflix’s After Life and CALM have teamed up to highlight the power of talking about grief

It’s the Netflix smash hit that has helped highlight the punishing trials of grief, and spark conversations about something that all of us will experience, but so many of us struggle to discuss openly. And now the Ricky Gervaispenned After Life has teamed up with mental health charity CALM to install 25 benches around the country, to shine a light on the power of talking and sharing honestly about our struggles.

Each one is inscribed with ‘Hope Is Everything’, a key quote from the series. Anyone who’s watched the show will know that Gervais’ character, Tony, who has lost his wife to cancer, often shares a bench in the cemetery with Anne, played by Penelope Wilton, whose own husband has also died. It’s through this burgeoning and open friendship that both are able to work through their grief, taking the time to sit and reflect.

Don’t leave

While the benches are aimed at normalising the challenging and difficult feelings that arise from grief, After Life has also been the catalyst for CALM’s new Stay campaign. With 125 people a week in the UK taking their own lives, the campaign is all about reminding those struggling with suicidal thoughts that there is always someone who wants them to stay alive. These feelings can be especially acute after the loss of someone close.

“Park benches provide opportunities to reflect, talk to someone, sit shoulder to shoulder with someone and get things off your chest,” said a spokesperson from CALM. “Indeed, Ricky Gervais’ character is saved by talking to people. But for many that can be difficult, which is why our partnership with Netflix and After Life is so important, continuing to remove the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide, and show that even when things are getting too much, there’s always hope, there’s always someone that cares.”