support three local mental health & wellbeing projects

Please help me to provide more support in our local community to improve the lives of children, young people & adults trying to cope with a mental health condition.

Those who know me well appreciate why I am so passionate about this. I am blessed to be celebrating my 60th birthday this month - a milestone which I have previously thought I’d never reach.

In my life I have either personally, or had someone very close to me, suffer from depression, generalised anxiety, narcissistic personality disorder, alcoholism, an eating disorder, separation anxiety, excoriation, bipolar disorder, social anxiety, a learning disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, as well as ABSA, ADHD, ARCID, ASD, OCD, PDA, PTSD & SAD (if you don’t know what any of these are, I’d urge you to find out & be better informed to recognise & support if someone close to you is suffering). I have also experienced the devastation of more than 1 friend ultimately taking their own life.

More people than ever are struggling & NHS services are struggling to cope with the need.

As part of All Souls Church, Forfar I have set-up:

1- a 16+ Peer Support Group called TLC where we offer an informal safe space to Talk (if you feel like it), Listen (or be listened to) & share with the Compassion of others.

2- at All Souls, I am also working to establish a safe space where young people suffering with Anxiety Based School Avoidance can meet within school hours, but outwith school grounds. There, they can chat with others who for various reasons, also find it so difficult to be in school. Peer support is crucial, especially for teenagers. They can also get help with the schoolwork which they are likely to be falling behind with or even just have somewhere positive & non-judgemental to go that will give them a positive reason to just get out of bed or out of the house every day & remain engaged in society.

3- with my theatrical background, I have also set-up a group called Acting Up! where I use drama, music & dance to explore emotions in children & young people. If someone is “acting up”, rather than label them as “just” badly behaved, anxious, disruptive or upset, I feel we should consider & try to understand the reasons underlying the behaviours. Theatre arts is an excellent tool to do just that, in an informal, inclusive & fun way.

If you can help me to help other people to feel better about themselves & their lives, we’ll all benefit from a healthier, happier community.

Thanx, Fiona,