NETFLIX has donated a bench to Somerset West and Taunton Council to raise awareness for mental health through the TV series After Life.

The benches have been commissioned alongside suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) - which offers help, advice, and information to anyone who is struggling or in crisis.

The bench will be installed in Taunton’s Vivary Park tomorrow, Wednesday, January 19, Somerset West and Taunton Council said.

A bench will also be installed in Blenheim Gardens, in Minehead.

They are each inscribed with a quote from After Life third season, ‘Hope is Everything’, and a plaque with ‘This bench is donated by Netflix to commemorate Ricky Gervais' 'After Life'.’ The initiative also marks the show’s third series.

Somerset County Gazette:
A poster showing where the benches will be installed

After Life is renowned for its scenes showing Ricky Gervais’s leading character, Tony, on a bench at his local churchyard, as he continues to grieve for his wife Lisa, played by Kerry Godliman.

The bench serves as a place for Tony to reflect, share, listen and, ultimately, to grow and find hope for the future.

To mark the launch of the final series of much-loved series of After Life, Netflix has donated 25 benches to local councils around the UK at points of interest to create a space for communities to visit.

Those who visit a bench will be able to access resources from CALM via a unique QR code with the wording “Life can be tough, but there’s always hope. Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is by your side”, and online by visiting https://www.thecalmzone.net/afterlife/ The benches can be found from January 14, 2022, right across the UK in locations including Bath, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Taunton, and Surrey Heath.

Ricky Gervais said: “We hope the benches will create a lasting legacy for After Life, as well as become a place for people to visit, and we are thrilled to be associated with CALM and the great work they do.”

Simon Gunning, CEO, CALM said: “Park benches provide opportunities to reflect, talk to someone, sit shoulder to shoulder with someone, and get things off your chest.

“That is why we’re delighted to team up with Netflix to put benches in parks across the country - inscribed with that crucial line from the show, ‘Hope is everything’ - to help people have those conversations and to show it’s normal to have those feelings.”