WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY – 10th OCTOBER 2025
World Mental Health Day takes place every year on 10 October. It’s a reminder of the importance of good mental health and the need to prioritise and invest in good mental health.
This year’s theme is ‘access to services – mental health in catastrophes and emergencies’. The theme highlights the importance of people being able to protect their mental health in times of global instability.
TIPS TO MANAGE OVERWHELM
WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY – 10th OCTOBER 2025
• Three community centres in Scotland have been listed with a “protest price” of £500 million each to highlight their true value, and call for urgent investment to stop closures
• Over a third rely on shared community spaces for their mental health and wellbeing
• Ahead of World Mental Health Day (10th October), a new campaign from Crown Paints and Mind spotlights the role of shared spaces on the nation’s wellbeing
In the lead up to World Mental Health Day (10th October), Crown Paints has listed three community centres with a £500 million price tag on these overlooked mental health lifelines.
These properties, complete with online estate agent listings, include shared spaces for the community in Granton:hub, located in North Edinburgh, Boomerang Community Centre in Dundee and Craigrothie Village Hall in Fife.
It comes as a nationwide survey revealed that over a third (37%) of Scots say these spaces help them escape loneliness, while 34% say having access to community spaces has a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing.
The campaign spotlights buildings in regions among the hardest hit by local authority cuts, drawing attention to the real value of the Scotland’s shared spaces. The warning is clear. Unless the UK unlocks the funding needed for shared spaces at pace, libraries, youth clubs and community halls will disappear, and with them, the beating heart of our communities.
In a bid to get policymakers to recognise the value of shared spaces, the campaign, launched in partnership with mental health charity, Mind, saw listings of the five community centres across the UK hijack property websites, feature in classified ads and even popping up in an estate agent’s window for sale.
The study also found that nine in ten Scots (91%) say vibrant community spaces are important, with 35% expressing concerns for future generations if these places disappear altogether.
Amanda Bolton, a spokesperson for the campaign at Crown Paints said: “When we talk about mental health, we often overlook the walls that quietly hold us up.
“These are the spaces where real life happens. The toddler groups, the art classes, and those evening drama clubs.
“Places that offer comfort, connection and community. By listing them as Britain’s Most Valuable Buildings, we’re shining a light on the everyday spaces that hold our communities – and wellbeing – together.”
Andrew Berrie, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Mind, added: “Community spaces are important for our mental wellbeing. They provide accessible, welcoming places to connect with others and help reduce loneliness, which can have a negative impact on mental health.
“Crown’s research shows the public feel their loss deeply, with many worried about the impact on future generations. Protecting these spaces must be part of the national conversation on mental health.”
As part of the campaign, Crown Paints has launched an online hub with fundraising tips for community centres. This forms part of Crown’s wider Project Possible commitment to supporting communities through the power of paint, with the ambition of donating 50,000 litres of paint or more to support community projects nationwide.
Amanda continued: “From creating more joyful paces through the power of colour, to supporting community regeneration with uplifting murals and paint projects, we’re helping communities to grow and thrive.
“This campaign builds on our Project Possible commitments, showing how we can play a meaningful part in the places that matter most.”
For more information visit:
https://about.crownpaints.com/projectpossible/campaigns.
CASE STUDY LISTINGS – SCOTLAND’S MOST VALUABLE BUILDINGS
Boomerang Community Centre, Dundee listed for £500m at https://fliq.co.uk/offers/boomerang-community centre-dundee
This 8,305 sq ft hub has been the beating heart of Stobswell since 1987. Its true value lies in the hot meals shared around its tables, the youth clubs that give young people a safe place to grow, and the support groups that carry people through grief and loneliness.
From toddlers learning to bake to a 98-year-old still teaching tea dances, Boomerang shows how belonging is built – through food, friendship and generations coming together under one roof.
Granton:hub, Edinburgh listed for £500m at https://www.gumtree.com/p/property-for-sale/grantonhub edinburgh/1504285170
Housed in historic Madelvic House, this volunteer-run hub is where culture, memory and community converge. From affordable artist studios to yoga classes and local history archives, it offers opportunities for learning, creativity and connection.
Its true value lies not in its rooms, but in the spirit it preserves and the belonging it creates.
Craigrothie Village Hall, Fife listed for £500m at https://www.gumtree.com/p/property-for-sale/craigrothie village-hall-fife/1504284690
A modest four-room hall, but priceless to the people it serves. For half a century, Craigrothie has been the stage for weddings, ceilidhs, clubs and community suppers. Its walls hold the history of a village, its kitchen fuels friendship over food, and its true value lies in the role it plays as the heartbeat of rural life.
Wildflower Planting in East Pilton Park this Saturday 10.30-1 (11th October) with Granton Community Gardeners. Free, family friendly activity.
Join us to add wildflower seeds and spring bulbs to the long grass patches of East Pilton Park (around the new tree plantings).
As well as looking beautiful, we hope to improve the area for pollinators and also increase the number of invertebrates (insects and other wee bugs) for our local birds to eat.
We are particularly hoping to help increase the food supply for our nearby swift colony and this project goes hand in hand with plans we have to give the swifts more good local nesting sites by adding swift boxes to buildings.
Amazingly, the council’s ecologists have found that long grass areas can have as much as 90 times more life than short grass. Let’s add flowers to make them even better!
Please get in touch if you’re planning to come so we can bring a sensible number of tools: email katie@grantoncommunitygardeners.org
(Also dress for the weather, and bear in mind that the closest public toilets are in Ainsley Park Leisure Centre).
You can also check out more about our ‘Nature in Granton’ project via new page on our website:
October kickstarts Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a good opportunity to remind women of the importance of attending their breast screening appointment.
“One in eight women in Scotland will be diagnosed with breast cancer. But when it’s found early, the chances of successful treatment are much higher.
“In fact, women are five times more likely to survive. Breast screening alone saves around 130 lives every year in Scotland,” said Heather Jarvie, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) Public Health Programme Manager.
“Breast screening helps us detect cancers that are too small to see or feel. That’s why we encourage every woman who receives an invitation to attend. It could be lifesaving.”
Who is eligible for breast screening?
Women aged between 50 and 70 will be invited for breast screening every three years. Those eligible will be invited by NHSGGC via letter, email or post, depending on what they selected as their communication preference with their GP.
Anyone over the age of 70 can make an appointment for breast screening directly via the breast screening service.
Breast screening is also offered to non-binary people whose birth certificate originally said female, who haven’t had breast removal surgery, trans women who are taking hormones, and trans men who haven’t had breast removal surgery.
Don’t miss out
NHSGGC is also taking this opportunity to encourage women who may have missed their appointment, or who cannot make their appointment, to please contact their local breast screening service to rearrange another suitable date. Heather explained:
“We understand that life happens and at times appointments may be missed or dates and times simply don’t work due to conflicting events. Please don’t miss out because of this. Anyone who has missed their breast screening appointment should get in touch.”
West of Scotland Breast Screening Service contact number: 0141 800 8800.
Heather also provided reassurance to anyone who may have nerves about attending. She said: “We also understand that for some attending a screening can feel daunting, but we’re here to support you every step of the way.
“Our team is friendly, professional, and ready to make your experience as easy and reassuring as possible. We suggest that women watch the ‘what to expect’ video ahead of time to set their mind at ease.”
What happens at a screening appointment?
Eligible women living in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, will either be invited to the NHSGGC breast screening centre in Nelson Mandela Place, Glasgow City Centre or to one of NHSGGC’s breast screening mobile units that visit localities throughout the year.
This mobile unit, often called the screening bus, is a welcoming, private, and fully accessible space, designed to make visits as comfortable and supportive as possible.
Each appointment involves a mammogram, four quick X-rays, two of each breast, carried out by a specially trained female mammographer. The process only takes a few minutes, and there’s time beforehand to ask questions or share any concerns.
If you have or care for someone with additional support needs
Heather also explained the reasonable adjustments that can be made to appointments: “We have options available for people who have additional support needs.
“They or their carers can call our breast clinics and request extra support, whether that’s a longer appointment or bringing someone with them. We have easy read booklets too for people with learning disabilities to look through ahead of time so as they can understand what to expect.
“Please remember to contact the breast screening service before your appointment to discuss any support needs you may have”
What all women should do at home
Women are also urged that if they notice any unusual changes in their breasts, they should not wait for their screening. They should speak to their GP right away, even if they’ve recently had a mammogram.
Signs and symptoms to look out for include:
For more information visit:
Breast cancer | Get Checked Early
Breast screening in Scotland | NHS inform
Feeling overwhelmed? Starting college or uni can be both exciting and stressful. Remember you don’t have to face any worries alone – help is available.
Here’s what you need to know:
On Campus Support – Many unis or colleges offer in-house mental health services. Search the ‘Think Positive Hub’ to see what’s available near you.
NHS inform – Explore guides and resources:
Mental health guides to help issues such as anxiety, phobias, and sleep problems.
Tips on boosting your mental wellbeing
Info on where to find the right support
Free mental health apps to help with sleep, stress, and anxiety.
Need to talk? Reach out to Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87 or webchat. Experienced advisors are available to listen and offer information and advice.
Open weekdays 6pm–2am & weekends 6pm Fri–6am Mon
Urgent help?
Contact your GP to access urgent mental health support. If the GP is closed, NHS 24’s Mental Health Hub is available on 111. Specially trained advisers are ready to help and connect you with the right support.
Need more info? Check out our student health tips at #NHSinform.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Salvesen Mindroom Centre, a charity that has transformed the lives of more than 30,000 neurodivergent children, young people, and their families since its founding in 2000.
The milestone comes as the charity’s latest impact report reveals a 294% increase in demand for its services over the past five years, highlighting a critical and growing need for accessible support.
Co-founded by Robin and Sophie Dow and inspired by their daughter Annie, who lives with a rare chromosome deletion, Salvesen Mindroom Centre was built on a foundation of lived experience.
For a quarter of a century, the charity has delivered vital programs, advocacy, and support — from aiding families in crisis to training leaders to build more inclusive workplaces.
“Mindroom was founded on lived experience, and 25 years later, its mission is more urgent than ever,” said Alan Thornburrow, CEO of Salvesen Mindroom Centre. “Neurodivergent children are today’s young people and tomorrow’s workforce.
“The work we do is all about shaping a fairer, more inclusive future.”
The charity’s 2024 impact report, available for download on their website, also reveals the growing pressures on families and the support system:
“Behind every statistic is a real person and a system under pressure,” Alan Thornburrow added.
“Since I joined in 2022, we’ve worked to scale our impact and think of our mission as a revolution. We want to continue transforming lives for the next 25 years and beyond.”
Beyond its direct services, the charity has also trained more than 7,500 leaders in business, education, and public services, and has played a significant role in advancing neurodiversity as a national priority in Scotland and beyond.
As Mindroom marks 25 years of impact, the message is clear: the need has never been greater, nor has the opportunity. Every child supported, every family empowered, and every leader trained moves us closer to a society where neurodivergent people can thrive.
Lasting change is only possible when we stand together.
To download the latest Impact Report created by Mindroom (2024), please visit: 2024 Impact Report
A researcher who found that poetry can help explain a complex medical condition that affects thousands of people in Scotland has teamed up with a national charity to enable more people to benefit from her findings.
Dr Georgi Gill, from Fife, spent six years exploring how writing poems could help people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) understand their condition better themselves, and more easily explain it to others.
Now Georgi, who has MS herself, chose National Poetry Day (Thursday 2 October) to discuss the potential implications of her research as well as announce two new initiatives she’s launching, one in collaboration with MS Society Scotland, to bring the benefits of poetry to more people impacted by neurological conditions.
Georgi, who lives near Kirkcaldy and was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in 2003 at the age of 28, said: “When I first turned my pen to poetry, it felt like the only writing option remaining to me.
!My vague ambitions of being a novelist had fallen by the wayside as had my full-time career in school teaching and penchant for night clubbing in high heels; all casualties of the dizziness, brain fog and physical fatigue that have frequently interrupted my life since I was diagnosed with MS.
“I remember looking at brain scans in my neurologist’s office, scans that I couldn’t understand or interpret. To me, the white patches of inflammation and scarring were moth holes in my brain. Ideas, lesson plans, mental shopping lists, the witty comment I was about to make frequently slipped through these holes and were lost. Eventually I acknowledged, with some burning resentment, that I wasn’t going to be writing the next great novel any time soon.
“Poems, on the other hand, could be very short. They didn’t need to tell a complicated story with multiple characters. From my previous encounters in literature classes, poems didn’t even have to make sense!”
Georgi “grudgingly” signed up for a poetry writing class and within weeks she was hooked. Before long she had completed a Master of Arts in Poetry Writing and released her first poetry collection, ‘Limbo’ (Blue Diode, 2021).
She continued: “Poetry offered a distraction from some of the realities and limitations of my life. Yet it wasn’t just an escape – I was also tentatively using poems as a way to explore my feelings and frustrations about the ways that MS had derailed my life plans.
!In poems, I tried to understand what was happening to my body and to communicate that lived experience to others. I started to wonder whether writing poems about their lives with MS could offer similar benefits to others with the condition.”
More than 17,000 people in Scotland live with MS. That’s about one in every 300 people, which is one of the highest rates of MS in the world. Yet research carried out on behalf of the MS Society earlier this year suggests just a fraction of adults in Scotland can demonstrate a thorough understanding of the condition*.
Georgi’s poetry was the starting point for her PhD research at the University of Edinburgh and, in the middle of the 2020 UK Covid lockdown, she found herself hosting a series of online workshops for people living with MS. Participants were encouraged to use verse as a tool for exploring their shared condition and explaining it to others. They benefited from social interactions within the groups and some experienced enhanced self-esteem from taking part in the shared creative activities.
“We shared our lives with one another and the aspects that made us feel uncomfortable or isolated from other people,” Georgi continued. “There was a lot of laughter as we recognised our own experiences in others’ poetry and also, on occasion, a few tears.
“These workshops and the resulting poems created opportunities for people with MS to be heard and understood and, importantly, to build creative communities together. Participants also reported positive outcomes from sharing these poems with a small number of their family, friends and carers. For some participants, an old hobby was revitalised, while for others a valuable new creative practice was found.”
Having seen and experienced the benefits of poetry writing, and keen to share those positives with others, Georgi is launching the following initiatives:
· In October, Georgi will publish ‘poeMS: an anthology by people living with multiple sclerosis’. Available as a free e-book through the University of Edinburgh, the anthology brings together poems written by participants in her original study, providing unique insights into their lives with MS. A limited number of print editions will be given to neurologists and charities working to support people with MS.
· The ‘Poems on my mind’ project will then bring her poetry workshops to new audiences and people with a range of neurological conditions including MS, Parkinson’s and motor neuron disease. Initially, Georgi will train staff and volunteers from MS Society Scotland to establish and deliver the workshops. Members of the MS community throughout Scotland will then be given the opportunity to explore and communicate their health experiences through poems.
Georgi will undertake both pieces of work though the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH), based at the University of Edinburgh where she completed her PhD in Health in Social Science in 2025.
IASH Director, Professor Lesley McAra, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting this fascinating and timely project.
“Poetry helps us look at the world in new ways, and Georgi’s work in the community promises to bring those vital insights to a wide audience.”
Georgi believes that in addition to helping participants understand their own MS, and explain their condition to those close to them, her workshops could also be beneficial in helping medical and other professionals better understand an individual’s symptoms.
Looking ahead to the two upcoming projects, she added: “I’m excited: excited to share the original participants’ poems, which brought illumination and inspiration to readers and writers alike in the first project.
“Excited also to read the new poems that will be written by people joining MS Society Scotland’s ‘Poems on my mind’ groups. My own life with MS continues to shift and change, but poetry is a welcome constant.”
MS damages the protective coating around nerves in the brain and spinal cord, and can impact how people move, think and feel. The MS Society is the UK’s leading charity for people affected by MS, offering support, funding research, and campaigning to improve the lives of everyone impacted by the condition.
Jo Anderson, Director for Scotland at the MS Society, said: “We’re excited to be working with Georgi on the ‘Poems on my mind’project. Georgi’s research shows there are many ways poetry can benefit the MS community, and we’re pleased to be part of the team bringing those benefits to even more people.
“MS symptoms are different for everyone, and many are invisible. As well as supporting people to explore their own MS, the poetry workshops could lead to friends, relatives, carers, and professionals also gaining a greater understanding of the condition and how it impacts those around them.”
In March, the MS Society revealed the results of a survey conducted, in partnership with Opinium Research, to find out how well people understood MS. Of the 500 adults surveyed in Scotland, although more than 90% had heard of MS, only 12% of those were able to correctly identify whether a series of statements they were shown about the condition were true or false.
When MS Society Scotland revealed the survey results, it stressed that if a person with MS is surrounded by family, friends, or colleagues who don’t fully understand the impact it can have, it makes living with an already difficult condition even harder.
The charity pledged to continue working to increase people’s understanding of MS; the poetry project being undertaken in partnership with Georgi will contribute towards this commitment.
· A link to download the free e-book, ‘poeMS: an anthology by people living with multiple sclerosis’, will be posted on MS Society Scotland on Facebook, @mssocietyscot on X, and @iashedinburgh.bsky.social on Bluesky as soon as it’s live.
· Read Dr Georgi Gill’s PhD thesis, ‘poeMS: an exploration of poetry as a way to communicate lived experiences of multiple sclerosis’, here:
https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/42995
· Find out more about Georgi’s research and her upcoming projects at:
WORLD CEREBRAL PALSY DAY – MONDAY 6th OCTOBER 2025
Launching for World Cerebral Palsy Day, ‘More Than Palsy’ – created by DUDE Milan in collaboration with award-winning Scottish poet Jack Hunter – highlights the fighting spirit of people living with cerebral palsy.
It is thought that between 17-50 million people globally live with cerebral palsy, and it remains an underrepresented and neglected disability. 1 in 400 births in Scotland result in a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. To raise global awareness of the condition and drive donations, Italian charity Fight the Stroke, in partnership with Cerebral Palsy Scotland, has launched the campaign More Than Palsy.
Launched in advance of World Cerebral Palsy Day on 6 October, More Than Palsy was created by DUDE Milan in collaboration with Scottish actor, playwright and cerebral palsy advocate Jack Hunter, who is living with cerebral palsy himself.
Inspired by Hunter’s slam poem –“You’ve Got to be Ballsy to have Cerebral Palsy” – the campaign paints an authentic picture of the challenges faced by the cerebral palsy community through their own stories: a stark reminder that life with cerebral palsy is not for the weak – it takes strength to be a disabled person in a non-disabled world.
Watch the 30s clip here: More Than Palsy – SHORT ENG no sub
Watch the full film here: More Than Palsy – LONG SUB ENG
At the heart of the campaign is a two-minute documentary-style film which powerfully conveys the small yet incessant challenges that make up the daily life of a person with cerebral palsy – from the physical frustration at tying one’s shoelaces or trying to use a tampon, to the mental hardship of being bullied.
Raw, powerful and bold, the film aims to both inspire people who have been living with cerebral palsy for years, as well inform future new parents about the existence of this condition and the support that cerebral palsy organisations can offer.
Cerebral Palsy Scotland are the only dedicated cerebral palsy charity in Scotland. Their specialist physiotherapy, speech and language, and psychological therapy services make an incredible difference to the lives of the people they work with.
Meningitis Now is marking World Meningitis Day today (Sunday 5th October) with an urgent call for awareness and action, as new figures reveal a concerning rise in meningococcal disease (IMD) across England.
The latest statistics show there were 380 cases of IMD in 2024/25, compared to 341 in 2023/24 which is an 11% year-on-year increase.
The figures disclosed in the latest quarterly release from UKHSA also reveal that cases of MenB, the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in the UK, have also risen by 13%. There were 314 cases compared to 301 in the previous year.
Increases in MenB have been recorded in several age groups, including a 20% increase in cases among 15–19-year-olds (from 52 cases to 65), a 17% increase among babies under 1 year old (from 29 cases to 35), a 17% increase among 25 to 44-year-olds (from 38 cases to 46) and a 19% increase among 45–64-year-olds (from 34 cases to 42).
Dr Tom Nutt, Chief Executive of Meningitis Now, said, “These figures are worrying. Meningitis can affect anyone at any time, but these increases among teenagers, young adults, and babies – some of the most vulnerable groups – show just how vital it is to stay vigilant.
“Early recognition saves lives, but prevention through vaccines remains the most effective way to protect against this devastating disease.”
Meningitis Now is urging people to familiarise themselves with the signs and symptoms of meningitis, and to check whether they and their loved ones are up to date with vaccinations, including the MenACWY jab.
Meningitis can be fatal within hours of infection. One in ten people who contract bacterial meningitis will die, leaving their families coping with the heartbreak of losing a loved one. Between 30% and 50% of those who survive bacterial meningitis will be left with long-term after-effects, including hearing loss, acquired brain injury, epilepsy, chronic pain, vision problems and amputations.
Meningitis Now provides one-to-one support, grants, and a free nurse lead helpline to make sure no family faces the impact of meningitis alone.
Earlier this year Meningitis Now launched a campaign to tackle cases of MenB among young people.
The charity says there are effective, life-saving vaccines against MenB, but they are not currently offered to teens, who are at increased risk of the disease. Meningitis Now’s campaign called “No Plan B for MenB” sets out the changes it would like to see, including:
• The MenB vaccination to be given to all those at most risk of disease.
• A MenB booster programme to protect adolescents from 2030.
• Availability of the MenB vaccination on the high street at a fair price.
Dr Nutt added, “World Meningitis Day is a powerful reminder that we cannot be complacent. While there has been a drop in meningitis cases over the past decade, these new figures underline why our work, raising awareness, supporting families, and pushing for prevention is as important as ever.”
The charity and its supporters are joining forces with other organisations to raise awareness of the disease this Sunday 5th of October and is encouraging people to light a candle at 8.30pm, in memory of those who have been affected by meningitis, as part of a global initiative.
Meningitis Now is the UK’s leading meningitis charity, founded 39 years ago by families who had experienced the heartbreak of losing a loved one to the disease.
The charity is the only organisation in the UK dedicated to fighting meningitis on three fronts:
For more information, visit www.meningitisnow.org.
CANCER. GET CHECKED EARLY.
Noticed lumps, blood, unexplained weight loss or other unusual persistent symptoms? Your GP practice wants to know.
Because the earlier you find cancer, the more treatment options are available, increasing your chances of living well again.
