Tag: CALM

Over half of Scots feel anxious or nervous about making friends, new research finds

New research commissioned by Beavertown Brewery has shone a light on the challenges adults in Scotland face in making new friends, revealing that over a third (39%) would love to make new friendships, but over half (61%) feel either anxious or nervous about it. 

The study, which surveyed 2,000 participants, found that adults typically stop making new friends around the age of 30 to 34, with 1 in 10 (10%) of those in Scotland not having formed a new friendship since then.

According to the OnePoll.com data, over half (55%) of Scots think it’s harder to make friends or meet new people as you get older, with a third admitting they’d be nervous at the prospect.

The study also found that out of those who feel most lonely in January, 29% put it down to people not wanting to socialise after Christmas, 57% say it’s due to the weather, and 71% blame it on the fact that it’s too dark to go out anywhere. 

According to the survey, nearly half (47%) of all adults in Scotland would be unlikely to admit feelings of loneliness to someone else, with over half (62%) believing there is a societal taboo around adult loneliness.

Despite this, 40% of Scots would take a class to learn a new skill in a bid to make new friendships, while 16% would give meet-up apps a go. 

Tom Rainsford, Marketing Director of Beavertown Brewery, said: “Let’s be honest, January can feel like a month of Mondays, and with people out and about, it can also be a month when feelings of loneliness surface.

“At Beavertown we’re all about creating moments that bring people together, which is why, with our charity partner CALM – we’ve launched our series of community events in a month where going out and meeting mates might normally feel like a challenge.

“Why not give it a try – and join us in our shout to crush loneliness this January.” 

Matt Jennings, CMO at Campaign Against Living Miserably said: “Let’s face it, with the festive fun over, getting through January can feel like a mountain to climb. And with millions of people reporting that they feel lonely some or most of the time, finding ways to bring people together couldn’t be more important.

“That’s why we’re excited to team up with Beavertown to help make this notorious month feel less miserable with a series of free climbing events to hopefully spark new friendships and hobbies – and show that we’re not alone.”

This January, Beavertown Brewery and CALM invite everyone to Crush Loneliness together and take a proactive step toward building meaningful connections.

Edinburgh Napier’s Rachel raises funds in memory of friend Jack

  • Graphic design student raises funds in memory of Jack
  • Rachel raises more than £700 for mental health charities

An Edinburgh Napier graphic design student has raised hundreds of pounds for mental health charities after developing a series of prints in honour of a late, close friend.

Student Rachel Cartledge, 19, from Edinburgh, developed a series of four prints in memory of her close friend Jack Dore, who sadly took his own life in December 2020.

Rachel met Jack through working together in Edinburgh. He was also an Edinburgh Napier student, studying International Tourism Management. He was due to graduate this year.

Her prints – which were developed as part of University coursework that aimed to get students to create something they were passionate about – featured a range of her own illustrations alongside uplifting quotes such as “You matter”, and “Everyone grows at different rates”.

The theme of the prints was to advocate good mental health alongside brightening people’s day.

Once the designs were finalised, Rachel sold the prints through her online Etsy shop and Instagram channel. Within the first 30 minutes, she had raised more than £100. Two print runs later, Rachel had raised a total of £704.28.

The funds raised were split between CALM – a charity that campaigns against living miserably – and a JustGiving fund set-up by Jack’s family to help people affected by depression and other mental health issues. As things stand, the fund is nearly at £20,000.

For Rachel, being able to do use her creative skills to help give people something to remember Jack by was a key driver of the entire project.

She said: “Last year, one of my good friends and work colleagues, Jack sadly took his own life. His family had set-up a JustGiving page in honour of him to raise awareness and get more people mental health support. I wanted to create something to help them in their goal.

“Jack’s death made me so upset and it is obviously something very personal to me. My idea was to create a series of mental health prints that I could sell online to raise money for the fund. I also liked the idea because whoever buys a print would get a little piece of Jack with them so his memory never fades.

“When my shop went live, I was so shocked at the response. In less than 30 minutes I had raised more than £100 for Jack and hundreds of people were sharing and commenting on my Instagram post.

“Overall, I sold more than 300 prints. I even had to restock which is something I never thought would happen. I went into this with a passion for making a difference for Jack and designing prints to make people’s day a little brighter.

“It just shows that when you put your mind to something and work really hard, anything is possible.”

Gemma Skelding, Associate Lecturer in Graphic Design at Edinburgh Napier, said: “I set the students the Passion Project to give them the opportunity to explore a brief that is inspired by a deeper meaning, a mission, a desire for a better way and ideally, has a real-world result.

“Rachel’s project delivered this in abundance, and I applaud her strength and drive to create such a wonderful tribute for her friend.”

If you would like to donate to Jack’s fund, you can do so by visiting: 

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/jackdore