The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Council under fire over life-saving pamphlets
Mental health charity’s disappointment after leaflets removed from Kinnoull Hill
A leading mental health charity was told its lifesaving leaflets on the top of Kinnoull Hill were litter.
Perth and Kinross Council told members of Andy’s Man Club not to distribute the pamphlets at the Perth landmark despite a number of suicides at the beauty spot.
Nicol Lumsden, leader of the group’s Perth branch, said: “A few guys have rescued one another from Kinnoull Hill and there have been incidents where guys have pulled them back from the edge.
“So they went up with the leaflets and put them on signs and trees. We then got an email from the council saying that there was leaflets found at the top of Kinnoull Hill and they’ve had to remove them because it’s littering.
“It was pretty disappointing.”
A council spokesperson said: “Officers are looking into what options are available and appropriate for the site.”
Potentially life-saving leaflets from a leading mental health charity have been removed from Kinnoull Hill by Perth and Kinross Council over concerns about littering.
Members of Andy’s Man Club placed their leaflets on benches and trees at the beauty spot in the hope of leading men in distress towards their organisation.
Nicol Lumsden, leader of the club’s Perth branch, wants his organisation to have a presence on the hill after a number of suicides at the Perth landmark. However after a number of potentially life-saving leaflets were distributed in the area the charity was contacted by council officials saying they had removed them.
Nicol said: “A lot of our guys are really passionate about getting the message out there and we’ve provided them with leaflets to put up themselves.
“So they went up with leaflets and put them on signs and trees.
“We then got an email from the council saying there were leaflets found at the top of Kinnoull Hill and they’ve had to remove them because it’s littering. It was pretty disappointing.”
The club has now called on the council to work with it and other mental health charities to set up permanent signs at the beauty spot.
Andy’s Man Club raised a banner at the Queen’s Bridge in Perth, which the council has not removed, but Nicol is seeking a guarantee that it could be made a permanent fixture.
The removal of the leaflets was highlighted at a meeting of the Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership during an Integration Joint Board (IJB) committee. Following the talks, IJB chairman Eric Drysdale asked if council officers could find a way to accommodate signs and leaflets from mental health charities at Kinnoull Hill.
A Perth and Kinross Council spokeswoman said: “We acknowledge that Kinnoull Hill is a site where it would be beneficial to display contact information for the specialist support services offered by organisations such as the Samaritans and Andy’s Man Club.
“Officers are looking into what options are available and appropriate for the site. We will report back to a future meeting of the Integration Joint Board on the actions that have been taken by officers.”
Andy’s Man’s Club meets at McDiarmid Park in Perth every Monday at 7pm.
The Samaritans can be contacted round the clock by calling 116 123.