Mental health forum promotes festive care
Oban’s new mental health forum wants to flag up crisis care provision over Christmas and the New Year.
‘Christmas can be a difficult time for some people. We just want to help people be as clear as possible what help is available to them,’ said Tina Jordan from the forum that has just had its second meeting.
The aim of the forum is to get service users, carers, voluntary groups and statutory organisations round the table to talk about mental health in the Oban area so they can work together and fill in any gaps to help some of the district’s most vulnerable people.
Ms Jordan said: ‘There is a lot going on in Oban and we want to make sure that people know about it so any care needed can be accessed. It’s also about identifying any organisations which can work together to fill in any gaps.’
Hope Kitchen is doing Christmas lunch this year, and in May crowds turned out to Walk A Mile, actually two miles, as a community to show Oban could stand proudly against all the barriers and stigma surrounding mental health.
The town also has a Martin’s Monday Club to encourage men to talk. It will meet again at Hope on Monday January 7 from 7pm to 9pm and a new women’s group is to start in the new year, also at Hope, on Tuesday January 8 from 7pm to 8pm.
Hope Kitchen’s festive opening times are: Christmas Eve from 11am to 2pm; Christmas Day from 11am to 3pm serving lunch at 1pm; Boxing Day from 11am to 3pm; and the same on Thursday December 27 and Friday December 28. Hogmanay times are 11am to 6.30pm but closed on Tuesday January 1 and January 2, opening again on Thursday January 3 and Friday January 4 from 11am to 3pm.
❚ Oban people have generously donated to ArgyllSHARE’s first Rucksacks and Handbags campaign at Hope Kitchen helping the homeless.
Sharon Wilkie-Jones from ArgyllSHARE said: ‘We have received a tremendous amount of super donations and these will all find the right homes in the new year.’ The public filled their donated rucksacks and handbags with toiletries and other essentials.
There will be a Rucksacks & Rebels creative action arts event on February 5 at Hope Kitchen at 2pm for a feast of creative kindness, music, blether and change. To find out more, go to argyllshare.co.uk