A talking bench is a bench that has a sign or a person present to encourage people to sit down and have a conversation with each other. The idea behind talking benches is to combat loneliness and isolation by providing a safe space for conversations to happen. The benches may have signs that read "Sit here if you dont mind someone stopping to say hello" or "If you need someone to talk to, sit here". The concept of talking benches is simple and can be adopted by anyone, anywhere. The benches encourage people to start conversations and talk to each other, rather than being isolated and sometimes lonely.