Hospital joins footballer's suicide bench campaign

The Legend on the Bench charity, started by Micky Hazard (far left), has installed 30 benches in community spaces around the country

An NHS hospital has become one of the first to install benches as part of a campaign started by footballer Micky Hazard's national suicide prevention charity.

Legend on the Bench was founded by the former Spurs and Chelsea player and it installs specially designed wooden benches in community locations promoting the message "someone is always listening" for people experiencing mental health issues.

Peterborough City Hospital is installing five benches in safe spaces around its site in Bretton which are accessible to staff, patients and visitors.

The benches feature an LED light, and a QR code that can be scanned with a smartphone to access immediate support.

Hazard was joined by Spurs legend Ossie Ardiles to unveil the charity's first bench in Hertfordshire

The charity is the brainchild of the former midfielder and his sister Michelle, whose son Jay died by suicide in 2019 due to mental health issues.

The first bench was unveiled in Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire in 2024 and, since then, more than 30 other benches have been donated by the charity for other sites.

The QR code on the bench will direct users to a comprehensive reference list of professional support groups, complete with contact numbers, website links, and email addresses.

Earlier this year, the charity approached North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Peterborough City Hospital, with a view to providing a bench.

Following a joint donation by the NWAFT's supporters and fundraising by the Peterborough Spurs Branch - four additional benches have been purchased and installed.

The benches are located in the hospital's staff reflection garden and woodland walk area, and outside the main entrance, the Emergency Department and the nearby Cavell Centre

Hazard, who also played for Swindon and Portsmouth, said: "Mental health challenges can change the lives of people forever, whether that be for the individual, their family or people around them.

"Legend on the Bench is more than a memorial - it's a promise that no-one has to face their darkest moments alone."

Trust chief executive officer Hannah Coffey said: "Legend on the Bench is a remarkable charity which in a short space of time has established itself among so many communities, offering a beacon of hope to those who need in-the-moment support."