Fantastic four team up for mental health
Charities launch joint Finding Yourself drive
Loc a l c h a r i t i e s a re celebrating coming together for a year- long project to target mental health in Renfrewshire.
Create Paisley, RAMH, Engage Renfrewshire and STAR Project all joined forced alongside labyrinth artist Jim Buchanan to mark the start of the Finding Yourself campaign.
The new collaborative project, funded by Robertson Trust, will see the four charities unite to find solutions and strategies that will positively impact the mental health of people in Renfrewshire.
Alan Clark from Create Paisley said: “Discussions about collaborating first came during Paisley’s 2021 bid for culture and we all started talking about ways we could unite to tackle key issues that face people here in Paisley.
“We all agreed that over the last few years mental health has really come to the forefront of people’s minds – particularly young people who are now more open about discussing anxiety and the stresses they feel and what’s impacting them.
“I think we realised that we could really respond to what people needed if we pulled all our resources together and learned from each other.
“Hopefully this is just the beginning of many potential collaborations.”
The Finding Yourself project is designed so that each organisation can take the lead on various mini projects that target a range of ages, with Engage Renfrewshire acting as an overall project coordinator.
STAR project will work predominantly with younger children and their family members by delivering weekly therapeutic and creative workshop sessions, examining self expression, healing, overcoming difficulties, needs awareness, inclusion, confidence and self-worth.
Create Paisley will work with young people aged 12 to 21 forming teams to design, plan, coordinate and co- produce creat i v e projects, events and workshops that promote wellbeing and the reduction of stigma around mental health.
Meanwhile, RAMH will work with 16 to 29-year-olds on a range of employability courses which will build up confidence, self belief and aspiration along with increasing knowledge, experience and skills.
Alan said: “Paisley has such a legacy for creativity and putting art at the forefront will hopefully be really useful in helping us to tackle the impact of mental health and help remove the stigma.
“The creative approach can help everyone and open up a space for them to talk about how they feel whether it is putting it in a song, in a painting or in organising an event.
“We’re not going to be prescriptive about it.
“We’re starting with a blank sketch book almost and it’s all about responding to what the young people want to see.”
At the centre of the new project is the labyrinth – an art display and workshop by Jim Buchanan – that celebrates mindfulness.
Alan said: “The idea behind the labyrinth is that it’s a creative space where people can find themselves, rather than being a maze where you struggle and lose yourself.
“It’s a space where people can feel like their voices will be heard.”
A spokeswoman for Engage Renfrewshire added: “Culture and creativity are at the heart of our collaborative approach.
“People experiencing mental health issues often struggle to find worthwhile ways of self expression; being creative can lessen symptoms such as anxiety and depression, it provides a meaningful opportunity to develop a sense of self, plus it brings a sense of joy and hope.”
Finding Yourself activities will be taking part at Create Paisley, RAMH and STAR Project.
Head to Engage Renfrewshire to find out more at www. engagerenfrewshire.com
We can really respond to what people need by learning from each other