Courses to help prevent suicide
Chooselife, NHSTayside and Perth and Kinross Council have joined forces to provide new training courses to prevent suicide in the area.
The Asist (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training ) two day course is designed to help people become more able to help people at risk of suicide.
The training is free and open to anyone.
A Safetalk four-hour course is aimed at giving participants the skills to recognise that someone may be suicidal and to connect the person to someone with suicide intervention skills.
It is designed for organisations that already have Asisttrained helpers in place.
The Safetalk course is also free and open to everyone.
The Asist two-day course will take place on February 6 and 7 and the Safetalk course will be available on December 14 or January 15.
To book a place or for more information email MHTraining@pkc.gov.uk or go to www.pkc.gov.uk/ suicideprevention. The Strathmore Community Sing group is keen to encourage more participants.
The group, which meets on the last Tuesday of each month in the Rattray Community Connect building, was set up with a grant from the Perth and Kinross ‘ Your Budget, Your Community, Your Choice’ fund, which enables people to access events in their own communities.
Led by Kenny Martin, who aims to make it a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone, the group offers people a chance to have a singalong in the company of others and make new friends.
Organisers say that members love the informal arrangement of joining in singing familiar tunes and then socialising over a cup of coffee at the end.
One member commented: “It is a good chance to meet up with people in the local area and have a good sing-song.
“Ever yone is ver y friendly and welcoming.
“We enjoy singing old favourites a s w e l l a s l e a r n i n g s o me n e w songs. After our singing we have a blether and a laugh over coffee.
“It is nice to have an event based in our own community instead of having to travel into Perth.”
The Strathmore Community Sing is a joint initiative between Perth and Kinross Council’s Strathmore Day Opportunities team and Alzheimer Scotland.
It is open to everyone - no formal singing experience is required, just turn up at the Community Connect building in High Street, Rattray, on the last Tuesday of the month from 10am to 11.30am.
The next session will be on Tuesday, November 28.
The group will then take a break in December before starting up again on January 25.
For more information contact Ja n e t Ma r t i n f ro m S t r a t h mo re Day Opportunities on telephone 01250 871920 or Fiona Matthews from Alzheimer Scotland on 07925 596232.