On Sunday, May 19th, our Volunteer Coordinator, Brodie, and our Training and Development Officer, Fergus, presented at the Callander Mental Health Matters campaign event. During their talk, they introduced the local church community to AMIS by discussing the important work that our charity does to support male victims of domestic abuse and their families.
In the campaign, Brodie and Fergus shed light on the unique challenges that men encounter regarding their mental health. They addressed the high rates of male suicide, the impact of societal views on masculinity, the risk of homelessness, the lack of tailored support services, and the insufficient understanding from the criminal justice system and professionals.
Concluding their presentation, they emphasized the positive changes in supporting men dealing with abuse and mental health issues. They highlighted the increase in mental health media campaigns focusing on men’s support, as well as the growing number of men’s support groups in Scotland and worldwide, with communities showing strong support for these initiatives. Additionally, they noted that organizations like AMIS are increasingly invited to speak at schools, aiming to raise awareness and provide support for the mental health of younger generations.
The talk was live streamed to the Church of Scotland Network on YouTube, you can listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmjoVVSfpsg
Callander is a small rural community located within the Stirlingshire council area. It serves as a gateway to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. A local community group has initiated a campaign to raise awareness and funds to support positive mental health and wellness in local area and schools. Mental health and wellbeing services are mainly concentrated in urban areas, and services in rural areas, such as Callander, are very limited. There is a need for more funding and service support in smaller rural communities, especially in rural schools for younger generations. This is part of the wider national #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek in Scotland.
There were several events taking place within the community throughout the week, such as free exercise classes and local pub quizzes! All funds raised during the week went to the Canmore Trust and initiatives that promote positive mental health support in the local schools (McLaren High School and Callander Primary School) and the Community Centre (McLaren Leisure Centre).
The influence and impact of these small rural communities are significant. As a result of our discussion, our AMIS leaflets were distributed extensively. Currently, the leaflets can be found across Callander in local schools, pub toilets, pharmacies, and barber shops. With the generous help of locals in the community our leaflets have also been distributed to community notice boards in the surrounding areas of Strathyre, Balquidder, Killin, and Tyndrum.
This was an excellent event for our team to attend. We look forward to further collaboration with rural communities across Scotland in the future.
