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This service is for people in Scotland
Welcome to our Year of Listening photo gallery! Our Year of Listening selfie sticks have been travelling up and down the country - thank you to all our supporters involved in promoting listening and listening skills across Scotland. Choose Life Coordinators, Renfrewshire Glasgow City Council - Recycling Dundee Chaplains (top right) and Dundee supporters Tony McLaren (Breathing Space/Living Life) with Pauline Toner (Choose Life Coordinator, Glasgow City) and Trevor La...
UPDATE: We have more Year of Listening Packs available! The packs contain leaflets, and other materials to help promote listening, listening skills and listening organisations - place your free order here. About the Year of Listening Scotland's Year of Listening (YoL) will raise awareness throughout 2016 that listening, and being listened to, is good for your mental health. The initiative was officially launched on 1st February and is being promoted by Breathing Space and Living Life menta...
Our Year of Listening Competition closed at the end of October and we are now delighted to be able to announce our winners! We were fortunate enough to have Prof Louise Welsh, Dr Carolyn Jess-Cooke and Dr Elizabeth Reeder from the Creative Writing/ English Literature department at the University of Glasgow judging the poetry and short story entries. Many thanks also to Ian Dawson, Picture Editor for Express Newspapers for judging the photography category. Participants were asked to enter a sho...
Prisoners' Week takes place in the third week in November each year and aims to stimulate discussion, highlight concerns and share hope in prisons and communities across Scotland. The initiative is led by Churches with Chaplaincy teams and their colleagues organising events in both prison and the community. The theme for this year is 'Remember me' and seeks to engage in discussion with community groups and representatives about matters that concern prisoners, victims of crime and all who care. ...
The Breathing Space 10K took place this October in the scenic countryside around Callander, in partnership with event organisers Skidaddle Well done to everyone who participated in the 10K, 5K and 1K fun run, here are some pictures from the day: Look out for future events next year!
As a mediator working with young people and families I am often asked this question. My response? …. The best way to get someone to listen to you is to demonstrate you are willing to listen to them and you want to understand what is important to them. Alongside Breathing Space and other national organisations The Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution (SCCR) is promoting and supporting Scotland’s Year of Listening. We recognise that listening is key to positive relationships and positive rela...
Music on Prescription, a new and free online service which promotes music as an aid in battling depression, is promoting a fundraising gig this October On World Mental Health Day, the work of music services such as Playlist for Life, Nordoff Robbins Scotland and Music on Prescription will be highlighted at 'The Power of Music' gig, which takes place at Saint Luke's in Glasgow. Ticketing information can be found here.
In recognition of Suicide Prevention Week, Choose Life Renfrewshire have released this short film discussing suicide and the support options available for those facing suicidal thoughts or who have experienced the loss of a loved one. The video, 'A Time to Talk, a Time to listen', also features Carol Cowan (Breathing Space National Development Officer) highlighting the support offered by Breathing Space.
Recovery Runners, a Glasgow-based running community which supports those recovering from alchohol and substance misuse, will be holding their 10K event this September. Where: Glasgow Green Football Centre When: 10am-1pm Entry: free, but registration is required Registration: from 9:30, race starts 11am. Extra info: A children's 2K race will be held at 10am
The Wellbeing Fair is a series of free events throughout October to promote and celebrate wellbeing across Perth & Kinross Open to the whole community, the Wellbeing Fair promises to be a varied and interesting series of events, save the date!
Breathing Space and Clydebank F.C. have renewed their partnership for the 2016-17 season. The Breathing Space logo features on the back of first team shirts, with banners and other signage promoting the Breathing Space phone number at Holm Park. Tony McLaren, Breathing Space National Coordinator said: "We're pleased to be working again with Clydebank F.C. to promote good mental wellbeing across West Dunbartonshire and beyond. Young men in Scotland often find it difficult to talk about thei...
Music On Prescription, a new and free online service which promotes music as an aid in battling depression, launched a global fundraising campaign last week on World Suicide Prevention Day. The service was founded by Mental Health Activist, Maureen O’Kelly, and her husband Iain, who aim to raise £300,000 to build the service, which will provide “free emotional first aid” to anyone, anywhere, anytime, who is suffering from depression. Partnered by Breathing Space, the goal of the service is to ...
Free emotional first aid between needing and receiving professional help for depression Music On Prescription is a new and free online service founded by Mental Health Activist Maureen O'Kelly and her husband Iain. They aim to raise £300,000 to build a service which uses music and self-help resources as an aid for anyone affected by depression. The project hopes to also improve understanding and reduce the stigma associated with mental ill-health. To find out more about the initiative, includ...
It's Living Life Day on Thursday 25th August! We're encouraging everyone in Scotland to 'make your day different' for good mental wellbeing. It's also an opportunity to raise awareness of NHS Living Life, a service which offers mental wellbeing support through listening skills and professional counselling. Make your day different It's the little changes we make in our lives which can have a big impact on our overall wellbeing. Taking some time out during a busy day, even just for 10 minutes, ...
On Tuesday 9th August pupils across Scotland receive their Higher, Standard, Advanced Higher and Intermediate results. Carol Cowan, Breathing Space National Development Officer said: "Getting your exam results can be a really stressful time. There are many pupils who may not get the results they were expecting. The best advice is 'dont panic' as there are many organisations out there that can offer help and support. Our advisors here at Breathing Space can offer emotional support if you're fe...
You are being invited to take part in a study which will investigate relationships between negative life events, gender role norms, mental health, and suicide. The study is being conducted by Charlotte Elliott from the University of Dundee as part of her PhD under the supervision of Dr Fhionna Moore. The study consists of one online questionnaire that should take less than 30 minutes to complete. Further details about the research and the survey itself can be found here: https://www.surveym...
Armed Forces Day is an annual event celebrated on 25th June to commemorate those serving in the British Armed Forces The day is used to show support for the men and women who make up the armed forces community, with a host of local events taking place across the country. Find out more about Armed Forces Day and the work of charities in the military sector such as Combat Stress, Poppy Scotland and Veterans First Point. Information on Veteran's health can be found on NHS Inform here.
Well done to everyone who took part in the Recovery Runners 5K on Tues 14th June! The 5K race is part of a race series organised by the Recovery Runners (a 3K took place in Hogganfield Park in March, a 10K race will be taking place in Glasgow Green in September). 3K race at Hogganfield Park 5K race at Springburn Park To find out more about Recovery Runners or the 10k run on 18th September at Glasgow Green, email: john.milligan@glasgow.gov.uk
It's Bike Week this week (11-19 June), the biggest nationwide cycling event in the UK. Cycling has great health, social and economic benefits so this week is an opportunity to promote cycling and encourage 'everyday cycling for everyone'. Find out events planned near you and more about Bike Week. Breathing Space and Living Life promoting the benefits of cycling on good mental wellbeing
This week (June 6-12) is Huntington's Disease (HD) Awareness Week. Huntington's disease is a hereditary illness that causes damage to certain areas of the brain. This can affect a person's movement, thoughts, behaviour and emotion. HD is a genetic disease due to a faulty gene; around 850 people in Scotland currently have HD. The Scottish Huntington's Association (SHA) is a voluntary organisation which provides a support network and specialist advice for individuals and families in Scotland li...
Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring and recognise the contribution carers make in their challenging role. This year the focus is on building Carer Friendly Communities, which support carers to look after their loved ones well, while recognising that they are individuals with needs of their own. According to Carers Trust Scotland, the largest provider of comprehensive carers support services in Scotland, there are at least 759,000 carers aged 16 and over in Scotland a...
It's Dementia Awareness Week (30th May - 5th June) Breathing Space work in partnership with Alzheimer's Scotland, a charity which provides a wide range of specialist services for people with dementia and their carers. This week Alzheimer's Scotland are raising awareness through '5 things you should know about dementia', with further information for each point provided on the Dementia Awareness Week pages: 1. Dementia is not a natural part of ageing 2. Dementia is caused by diseases of the...
Recovery Runners would like to invite you to take part in their Recovery 5K Race taking place at Springburn Park on Tuesday 14th June 2016. Where: Springburn Park, Glasgow When: Tuesday 14th June 2016, 6:30pm (registration opens at 5:30pm, a 2k kids race starts at 6:00pm) Entry: Free (all races in this series are free to enter) Further information: This Race forms a series along with the Recovery Runners 10K on Sunday 18th September 2016 (Glasgow Green) and the 3K which took place in March. ...
It's National Walking Month, a chance to join thousands of others who are enjoying the benefits of including more walking as part of their day. National Walking Month is promoted by the charity Living Streets, who are encouraging everyone to get more active with their #Try 20 campaign. The campaign gives 20 fun and easy ways to fit 20 minutes of walking in to your day, look at the latest #Try20 tips here.
The event took place in the beautiful surroundings of Callander and was organised by Skidaddle. Skidaddle is a not for profit enterprise which uses adventure sports to address social and economic needs in rural Scotland. Breathing Space and Skidaddle have been working in partnership to promote positive mental and physical wellbeing and took the opportunity to raise awareness of Scotland's Year of Listening. At the start line and raring to go And they're off! At the Breathin...
It's Mental Health Awareness Week from 16-22 May Across the country, supporters will be promoting good mental health and wellbeing and raising awareness of organisations such as Breathing Space and Living Life, which can offer emotional support and advice. Mental wellbeing and stress It is estimated that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year. Stress is one key factor which can affect your mental wellbeing. It can affect how you think, feel, behave and how you...
The Breathing Space Spring 10K will be taking place on Saturday 7th May, in the stunning surroundings around the town of Callander, often described as the gateway to the Highlands. The route provides a circular tour of Callander including the historic town centre, rivers, hills and forest trails. There are also 5K and 1K fun run options. The Breathing Space Spring 10K covers approx. 60% trails and 40% tarmac. If you'd like to take part in this great family day out, click here for ticket detail...
Hundreds of people are set to take over Glasgow Green in an event to tackle mental health discrimination. See Me, the national programme to end mental health stigma and Chris McCullough Young want to bring people to Glasgow Green to take part in their “biggest ever” Walk a Mile event. The aim of the event, on April 20th, is to bring together hundreds of health professionals, carers, people with lived experience, students, anyone who cares about tackling mental health discrimination, to break d...
A Glasgow-based running community, which supports those recovering from alcohol and substance misuse, has launched a series of free running events. Formed in 2012, Recovery Runners is now a thriving community which meets to train, run and promote the benefits of running on physical and mental health.Following the success of their inaugural 10K last August, the group hosted a Recovery 3K Race on 19th March at Hogganfield Park in Robroyston. Under starters orders and raring to go at the sta...
A fun interactive day for everyone in the community is being held this March at McDiarmid Park in Perth. The event hopes to promote mental health, creative thinking, self-directed support and choice. Find out more about this partnership event below:
This stunning winter warmer running event takes place on hilly forest roads above Callander and is the perfect opportunity to blow away the New Year cobwebs. Physical activity seems to help us to feel less anxious and stressed by stimulating 'feel good' chemicals in the brain. Exercise can us help to put things in perspective and clear the mind. It can also help build a feeling of connectedness, with like-minded individuals taking part! Covering approximately 10km with a shorter distance for j...
Recovery Runners would like to invite you to take part in their Recovery 3K Race taking place at Hogganfield Park on Saturday 19th March 2016. Where: Hogganfield Park (Cumbernauld Road, Robroyston, Scotland G33 GB) When: Saturday 19th March 2016, 11am (registration at 10am) Entry: Free Further information: This Race will form a series along with the Recovery Runners 5K on Tuesday June 14th (Springburn Park) and 10K on Sunday 18th September (Glasgow Green). All races are free to enter. All ...
A Perinatal Mental Health Event is being held in the public atrium area at Forth Valley Royal Hospital (Larbert, Falkirk) on Wednesday 24th February. The mental health charity Penumbra has set up a project exclusively for new and expectant parents. Its Perinatal Mental Health Project hopes to improve mental health of new mothers and their partners by improving wellbeing and tackling stigma, throughout their pregnancy and up to a year after the birth. The project is funded by See Me, the natio...
This Year of Listening guest blog post is from See Me, Scotland's national programme to end mental health stigma and discrimination. ‘Are you okay?’ It is a question we don’t ask each other enough, especially if we think the answer might be ‘no’. But for those of us who are struggling with our mental health, a simple ‘are you okay?’ can make a huge difference. Speaking out about our mental health isn’t easy, and people often say that the behaviours and reactions of others can be worse than a d...
1st February was National Breathing Space Day and marked the launch of Scotland’s Year of Listening. The annual awareness day, which urges people in Scotland to take some ‘breathing space’ to look after their mental wellbeing, encouraged us to take time to listen. The Year of Listening is an initiative promoted by Breathing Space and Living Life mental health telephone services to highlight that listening, and being listened to, is good for your mental health. Tony McLaren, Breathing Space Na...
Are you a budding poet, writer or photographer? If so we'd love to hear about what listening means to you! Email your photo (<2MB), short story (<500 words), or poem (<40 lines), which answers the question: What does listening mean to you? to: info@breathingspacescotland.co.uk Listening can mean different things An act, a moment, a mood For some it’s lending a caring ear Or making others feel good Whatever it is, let’s hear your thoughts And make this one of those years When Scot...
This Year of Listening guest blog post is from John Eden, Chief Executive, Scottish Huntington's Association. Even in an everyday context, listening is not always easy. Many things can get in the way of clear communication between the person transmitting the message and the person receiving it. It might be having the time to explain clearly or to hear the message, it might be a consequence of making assumptions about what the other person knows or it can be about making judgements about another...
Breathing Space Day takes place every year on 1st February to raise awareness of the Breathing Space phone service and encourage everyone in Scotland to take some time out to look after their mental wellbeing. This year is Scotland's Year of Listening (YoL), an initiative promoted by Breathing Space, Living Life, the Scottish Government and a number of national organisations. The Year of Listening will be launched on Breathing Space Day and will raise awareness throughout 2016 that listenin...
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