South Scotland MSP Brian Whittle has played host to Scottish mental health charity SAMH at the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Conservative MSP sponsored a reception for the charity who were promoting the SAMH Young People’s Panel. The panel, made up of young people aged between 13 and 24 from across Scotland, advocates for young people’s mental health and panel members took part in a discussion during the evening.
SAMH operate over 70 services in communities across the country and have been doing so for over 100 years. As well as providing practical information and support to people dealing with mental illness, the charity are also passionate advocates for greater investment and radical reform of mental health treatment in Scotland.
Scottish Conservative MSP Brian, who is the party’s spokesperson for Public Health, Mental Wellbeing, Social Care and Sport, has been a long-standing supporter of the charity and shares their belief that encouraging people to be more physically active can make a huge difference to their mental health. Among the initiatives SAMH support is Jog Scotland, which organises nearly 300 relaxed jogging groups across Scotland.
The Holyrood reception was attended by representatives of dozens of different organisations with an interest in mental health as well as numerous MSPs. Scottish Government Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing & Sport, Maree Todd MSP also attended and spoke.
Speaking after the event, Brian Whittle MSP said:
“It’s impossible to overstate the contribution that SAMH make to the lives of people in Scotland dealing with poor mental health, so I was delighted to welcome them to Holyrood and celebrate their success.
Some of the longest lasting effects of the covid pandemic have been to people’s mental health, particularly among young people. The work being done by SAMH to address this is massively important. Giving young people the tools and knowledge to look after their mental health can benefit them throughout their lives, building confidence and resilience.
I’m also a huge fan of SAMH’s efforts to promote the link between being physically active and better mental health. Even just going for a short walk regularly, can make a real difference to how you feel physically and mentally.
I’m grateful to everyone at SAMH, especially the members of their Young People’s Panel for coming along and promoting their work.”
