Step up for mental health awareness
Sign up to take part in Walk a Mile event
More than 1,000 people will walk the walk in Paisley to encourage people to talk the talk about mental health.
The Walk a Mile event is being arranged by Renfrewshire Anti Stigma Alliance ( RASA), to get people to speak up about different issues.
The event is being staged on Wednesday, May 10, in Paisley’s Fountain Gardens as part of Mental Health Awareness week.
The aim is to show that mental health can be a topic of everyday conversation, and to highlight we are all responsible for creating positive attitudes around it.
The Walk a Mile campaign was created by the See Me charity and activist Chris McCullough Young, based on his walk around the edge of Scotland – where he spoke to everyone he met about mental health.
Thousands of people have taken part in walks across Scotland, bringing together health professionals, carers, people living with mental health problems, students or anyone who cares about tackling mental health discrimination.
Walkers are encouraged to break down barriers as they stroll a mile in each other’s shoes.
Paisley mental health charity RAMH – Recovery Across Mental Health – is backing the initiative.
Chief executive Stephen McLellan said: “We have come a long way in challenging perceptions of mental health and the consequences of stigma on individuals and their families.
“However, we still need to support communities and society to recognise the impact which words and attitudes have on people.
“We are delighted to be part of the Walk A Mile event in Paisley as part of the Renfrewshire Anti Stigma Alliance.
“Each step we take on the walk is a step towards greater understanding.’’
RAMH supports around 4,000 individuals each year through a range of mental health and wellbeing initiatives.
It has its headquarters in Blackstoun Road, employs around 100 staff and helps people to recover from mental ill health, and to build independent, fulfilled lives.
Calum Irving, See Me director, said: “Mental health affects all of us, but there is still a stigma around it.
“To tackle this properly people need to understand that it is okay not to be okay.
“One of the best ways to change how people think and behave is to make mental health a topic in day-to-day conversation, rather than a taboo subject people don’t want to talk about.”
All are welcome to attend the Paisley Walk, which starts at noon on Wednesday, May 10, at Fountain Gardens in Paisley.
Sign up at letswalkamile.org and meet at the Grand Fountain – you can’t miss its distinctive walrus sculptures.