Local charities and Scottish Borders Health and Social Care Partnership come together to help See Me tackle mental health stigma this Suicide Prevention Week
Posted by See Me, 13 August 2024
PEOPLE across the Scottish Borders are invited to take part in a Walk a Mile as part of Suicide Prevention Week and “create hope through conversations”.
Walk a Mile sees participants paired up to undertake a mile-long walk and have a chat about mental health, using some prompts supplied by See Me, the national programme to end mental health stigma and discrimination.
Taking place on Saturday 31 August, the event brings together a number of national and local organisations that work to encourage people to be open about their mental health and to reach out and get support when they need it.
Organised by See Me volunteer Bridget Dickson, she said she hopes the walk will help people take steps to “combat mental health stigma and discrimination” and “break down the barriers to honest conversations”.
On the day, participants can expect refreshments, talks and can visit stalls from Inspiring Life, Scottish Borders Health and Social Care Partnership, Andy's Man Club, Papyrus, Citizens Advice Bureau, Borders in Recovery, Headstrong (Live Borders) and the Mental Health Forum. Support will also be provided by staff and volunteers from Quarriers and Samaritans.
Dr Sohail Bhatti, Director of Public Health at NHS Borders said: “Ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day, it is important to highlight to anyone struggling that there is a lot of support available to you. It’s important to be open about how you’re feeling with someone you trust. Family and friends can be a great source of support, just by listening to how you are feeling and talking things through with you. Please reach out to someone if you are feeling low.
“We would like to encourage as many people as possible to come along to this event, as coming together and talking about suicide is one of the best ways we can reduce the stigma and show people that there is hope for everyone.
“If you have been bereaved by suicide, it’s important to open up about how you’re feeling to those around you. You can also access support over the phone or from a number of different online resources such as NHS Borders Wellbeing Point and the Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide website.”
See Me director Wendy Halliday said: “This event is great as it will bring together community members, charity partners and organisations who are all working to spread the message that we all have mental health, that we can experience problems at any point and encourage everyone to reach out and get the support they need without fear or judgement.
“Coming together with local charities and organisations shows that support is available locally and there are services available to help.
“Walk a Mile helps people come together to have honest conversations about mental health, and share their experiences. It’s a great way to get walking and talking to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination in their communities.”
The free event will take place on Saturday 31 August, with attendees invited to gather at the MacFarlane Hall. Doors will open at 10am, with the walk starting at 11am. At the end of the walk, participants will loop back to MacFarlane Hall for refreshments, a musical performance from Nomad Beats and a spoken word performance by See Me volunteer Chik Duncan.
To find out more about the event, and register to attend, visit the official Eventbrite here.
Walk a Mile was created by See Me, in collaboration with campaigner Chris McCullouch Young.