Dundee barber shop working with mental health charity to get men to talk about their problems

It’s not the first place you think of when it comes to seeking help for mental health issues.

But a Dundee barber shop has joined forces with a charity in a bid to get more people — particularly men — to talk about their problems.

Hard Grind has teamed up with mental health charity See Me Scotland to spread its Start Talking campaign across the barbering industry.

The team joins a growing list of hairdressers up and down the UK who have become unlikely champions of mental health awareness.

Vincent Quinn

Vincent Quinn, head barber at Hard Grind, said customers have opened up to him about their mental health struggles while in the barber’s chair.

And he says those conversations have helped him with his own mental health.

He said: “Barbering really does make a difference and it’s amazing how many people are more likely to open up to a stranger. We’ve had a lot of guys come in and talk about it.

“I’ve had struggles myself and it’s definitely helped me just having someone open up. I’m not there to give them advice — it’s a two-way thing.

“It’s really just to get them to talk, it’s something so simple that can make a huge difference.”

Hard Grind’s barbers will talk about their own experiences in an online live broadcast on Wednesday.

The link-up came about following a partnership between See Me Scotland and Hard Grind’s clothing line partners Abandoned Ship, to create an online space to discuss mental health.

A number of other groups are involved in the new campaign, including the Lions Barber Collective, formed by a group of barbers to raise awareness of suicide prevention.

Vincent said: “We’re trying to get people to open up and share their experiences.

“We’ll be joining up with some of the top barbers in the industry for a live broadcast to talk about their own issues.

“The statistics for men in particular are just horrific, so we thought by having some of the most esteemed barbers in the country sharing their experiences, we could help end the stigma.”

For more information on the live broadcast and campaign, visit passthebadge.co.uk.

 

 

Link to original Evening Telegraph article here 

Students hold mental health awareness day

Students taking part in an #iamwhole campaign during mental health awareness day.

Students taking part in an #iamwhole campaign during mental health awareness day.

Dedicated pupils organised a mental health awareness day at Nailsea School to show their peers what support is available if they are struggling.

The students, who are members of the patient participation group for Tyntesfield Medical Group, approached GPs at the surgery to enlist their help with the event.

Representatives from the medical group teamed up with school leaders to run the awareness day, which included talks from the school’s safeguarding team, Positive Steps, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and Wellspring.

Evidence has shown 75 per cent of all mental health problems manifest themselves by the age of 24 and one in 12 young people self-harm at some point in their lives.

Students at the school were keen to raise awareness of the issues and show what support is out there for pupils struggling with mental health issues.

Lawrie Lewis, executive manager of Tyntesfield Medical Group, said: “The determination of a small group of pupils to bring this event to life for the benefit of the whole school community demonstrates how important mental health wellbeing is to young people.

“The school has gone above and beyond to facilitate the day.”

Students were also concerned about the risks young people face by accessing inappropriate sources of information on the internet and the event was designed to help pupils find reliable, professional help.

Craig Mawford, associate headteacher at Nailsea School, said: “Ensuring our students have the information they need to look after their mental health and wellbeing is vitally important.

“We are extremely grateful to all the professionals that have helped this event come to fruition.”

Dr Knut Schroeder, a Bristol GP and founder of Expert Self-Care Ltd, also showcased the new distrACT app, designed to give easy, quick and discreet access to general health information and advice about self-harm.

Through distrACT, young people can find reliable answers to their questions in plain language.

Expert Self Care Ltd, is a UK social enterprise certified by the NHS England Information Standard. It aims to give people access to reliable health information without the need for an internet connection.

 

 

Link to the North Summerset Times article here