The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Online mental health and wellbeing support programme launched
A six-month programme aimed at supporting Perthshire people’s health and wellbeing is up and running in the Fair City.
Well and Connected at Home launched this week after numerous local organisations worked to put it together.
Andy Douglas, of Scotland All-Strong in Perth city centre, said the online programme provides support for the selfmanagement of mental health and wellbeing challenges.
Sessions are provided by a range of organisations, including MindSpace, Helix Trauma Therapy, All Strong, Yoga Didi, Mandy 5 Alive Yoga, Well Minds Listening CIC, Creative Pipeline CIC, and Soul Fitness.
Participants are offered a bundle of items designed to aid wellbeing, such as colouring books and pencils.
There are two aspects to Well and Connected, with an Active Focus for 11 to 15-year-olds, with up to 500 places, and a Creative Focus for people aged 16 and over, with up to 200 places.
Andy said: “Selfmanagement support is ideal for those in recovery as well as playing a powerful role in prevention and early intervention.
“We wanted to create a programme where finance, being at home and busy schedules were not significant barriers.”
Anyone who wishes to get involved in the programme can register on the Scotland All-Strong website.
James Bond star Yaphet Kotto has been remembered as “a brilliant magnetic presence” following his death at the age of 81.
The actor was best known for his role as villain Kanaga and his alter ego Mr Big in Live And Let Die, opposite Roger Moore’s 007.
He will also be remembered for his turn as crew member Dennis Parker in the 1979 hit Alien, his performance as Alonzo Mosely in the Robert De Niro film Midnight Run and for his role in TV police drama Homicide: Life On The Street.
He later appeared in Law & Order and The Wire, and his widow said that he was still receiving offers of work, including a Tom Cruise project.
His widow, Sinahon Thessa, revealed he died on Monday in the Philippines.
She wrote on Facebook: “I’m saddened and still in shock of the passing of my husband Yaphet of 24 years.”
She added: “We still have a lot of plans honey that we discussed.
“You have a lot of interviews waiting and you have movie offers like GI Joe and the movie of Tom Cruise and others.
“You still have plans to release your book and build a religious organisation based on Yogananda’s Teachings.
“You played a villain on some of your movies, but for me you are a real hero and to a lot of people also.
“A good man, a good father, a good husband and a decent human being, very rare to find.
“One of the best actors in Hollywood, a legend.
“Rest in Peace Honey. I’m gonna miss you every day, my best friend, my rock.
“I love you and you will always be in my heart. Till we meet again!”
Kotto also appeared in The Running Man opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and starred as former Ugandan president Idi Amin in Raid On Entebbe.
Baby Driver director Edgar Wright wrote on Twitter: “RIP Yaphet Kotto, a brilliant magnetic presence, bringing gravitas and naturalism to deep space or underground Bond lair.
“So memorable as Parker in Alien, Kananga (Mr Big) in Live & Let Die, Smokey James in Blue Collar or in the simmering funny rage of Midnight Run’s Alonzo Mosely.”
Selma film-maker Ava DuVernay wrote: “Yaphet Kotto. My Mom’s favorite. He’s one of those actors who deserved more than the parts he got.
“But he took those parts and made them wonderful all the same. A star. Rest well, sir.”
Author Don Winslow wrote: “Yaphet Kotto. We lost a great one tonight. Rest in Power.”
Writer Marc Bernardin said: “Damn. Funnier than he had any right to be.
“Royalty in Cameroon. Made everything just that much better, from Alien and Live And Let Die to Midnight Run and The Running Man.
“I should dig up his Othello. I bet it’s a sight to see.”
Firefighters tackled a blaze that broke out in a farm building in Kinrossshire yesterday afternoon.
Emergency services were in attendance at the incident on Station Road in Crook of Devon at 2.42pm.
One witness said: “It looked like the dung heap caught fire and then set the barn on fire.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We had four appliances and water cannon.
“The first call we got was at 2.42pm.”
The fire service said the blaze was confined to a large farm shed and stables containing bundles of straw.
Three appliances from Alloa, Lochgelly and Tillicoultry attended, along with a water carrier from Larbert.
The fire extinguished 5.30pm.
No one was injured. was by