Emma Harper Visits Support In Mind Castle DouglasSouth Scotland MSP Emma Harper has praised the work of the mental health charity, Support in Mind, Castle Douglas Branch following a visit on Thursday the 13th of November.
During the visit, Ms Harper met with Support in Mind Scotland Area Manager, Elaine Scott, Castle Douglas staff, and persons who attend Support in Mind in Castle Douglas on a regular basis. The South Scotland MSP, who in August also visited Support in Mind in Stranraer and who met with the Chief Executive and Chair at the recent SNP Conference in Aberdeen, has said that the staff provide a “lifeline service” to many in the local area and has praised their “hard work and dedication”.
The Castle Douglas services include a project/resource centre that provides a safe place for people to meet, socialise, and attend a wide variety of groups and outreach support which provides a 1-2-1 service to support people to maintain a quality standard of living, manage household bills and expenses, support mental health and promote general wellbeing. The staff organise arts and crafts, cooking and lunches, they have a fantastic outdoor space with gardening activities, and during the winter months they are looking to hold some movie nights.
Ms Harper, Co-Convenor of the Scottish Parliament’s Mental Health Cross Party Group, commented:
“It was great to meet the Support in Mind team in Castle Douglas and to hear about what the staff do for those who use the service in the Stewartry area. The dedicated staff, along with the wider Support in Mind Scotland team, do amazing work – organising arts and crafts, cooking and lunches, they have a fantastic outdoor space with gardening activities, and they are planning some exciting events during the winter months, like movie nights.
“I was able to chat with some of the folk who use the service regularly and heard directly from them about the positive impact it has on them. I was also able to hear about some of the challenges that people who use the service face daily, including the struggles with rural transport and access to proper advice on welfare support. I have given a commitment to follow these issues up and I will be doing a surgery at Support in Mind in Castle Douglas in the coming months, to help anyone experiencing difficulties.
“I would encourage anyone who feels they could do with a chat, or who would like more information on what Support in Mind in Castle Douglas do, to get in touch with the Support in Mind team as mental health and positive wellbeing is so important, and as the Support in Mind team say, we need to promote the fact that it is okay not to be okay. The Support in Mind staff have all shown exceptional passion for their jobs and continue to provide a high quality service – I thank them all.”
For more information on services offered by Support in Mind visit https://www.supportinmindscotland.org.uk/about-us
