News / 15th June 2026
TAKE A SEAT: CITY CENTRE’S FIRST WELLBEING BENCH INSTALLED
Linen Quarter Health Week, which took place earlier this June, has left a positive legacy on Belfast, with the installation of a new “Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing” bench in The Gasworks. Funded by LQ BID, the bench is the first of its kind for the city centre and provides thousands of nearby workers, residents and tourists a dedicated space for mental health reflection. Its vibrant blue design serves as a visual prompt for individuals, and a QR code guides people to the Public Health Agency’s (PHA) Minding Your Head website where they can access tools and resources to improve mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Spearheaded by the Belfast Health Development Unit (BHDU), which is a co-located team of staff from Belfast City Council, Public Health Agency and Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, there have been 17 benches already installed throughout Belfast City Council parks since the initiative launched in 2019.
Lawrence Tingson, Sustainable District Manager at Linen Quarter BID said, “We’re really proud to have installed the first ever city centre Wellbeing Bench. A simple but meaningful concept, this now creates a dedicated space right in the heart of the Linen Quarter where people are encouraged to step away from the noise and distraction of the day and reflect. Our investment in this asset reinforces our commitment to community by providing an important resource that will serve the district long into the future.”
It is reported that poor mental health is a common cause of employee absence, costing the local economy around £3.4 billion annually. Furthermore, Northern Ireland has the highest prevalence of mental health conditions in the UK, with rates roughly 25 per cent higher than in England.
Chris McCracken, Managing Director of LQ BID, added, “We chose The Gasworks as the location because it is a sheltered nook within the Linen Quarter – and seemed a fitting space for individual reflection or a chat between friends. Building resilience as a city is important. The BID is committed to supporting that goal through a people-centred and community-focused approach and maintaining good health is a key pillar in our approach.”
The Belfast Health Development Unit was established in 2011, and aims is to support collaborative approaches to address health inequalities in Belfast.
Jim Morgan from BHDU said, “Our focus is on reinforcing how much people can do and achieve by incorporating Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing into their daily lives. Through time this will improve outcomes across a wide range of health determinants such as physical and mental health, and wellbeing, nutrition, social connections, learning and healthy ageing. Our Wellbeing Bench concept supports many of these areas by first encouraging reflection but also encouraging time together and time in the great outdoors. It’s wonderful that LQ BID has supported this initiative to expand the spread of our benches into the city centre. We hope there will be many more to follow.”
