Nairn-based listening charity announces closure as mental health charity steps in to continue services
An active listening charity hailing from Nairn will become part of a nation-wide mental health organisation in a bid to reach more people with their services.
Listen Well Scotland, founded by Nairn resident Maureen Wilson in 2013, announced that its team will join the national mental health charity Change Mental Health to provide a home for the continued delivery of its services.
Over the past decade, the charity has been campaigning to raise awareness on the importance of active listening for wellbeing and mental health at a preventative level, providing training and services to communities across Scotland.
However, the pandemic took a toll on the charity’s finances after they were forced to reinvent themselves by providing mainly online services.
This, followed by an increasingly competitive landscape for funding applications, meant that the charity was struggling to operate in a sustainable manner.
For this reason, they reached out to Change Mental Health, which has similar scope and ethos to Listen Well, to incorporate their CPD-accredited training and listening services.
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Linda Harding, chair of Listen Well Scotland, said: “We are so passionate about making sure the great work of Listen Well Scotland continues.
“Change Mental Health is the perfect home for this vitally important work. Their values of integrity, leadership and compassion are a perfect fit, along with their commitment of making sure that everyone gets the support they need, when they need and in a way which works best for them – which is exactly what Listen Well Scotland is all about.
“This is a very positive news for us. Although we will be closing down, mostly for legal purposes, we will continue to operate as Listen Well and with our own identity as part of Change Mental Health.”
The move will allow Listen Well Scotland to become part of a larger national charity with the aim that more people will benefit from listening training across the country and have access to listening services to create a positive impact on Scotland’s mental resilience and wellbeing.
Change Mental Health will continue the delivery of this work through its national services and upskill all of its staff in listening skills.
Nick Ward, CEO at Change Mental Health, said: “These are challenging times for charities of all sizes and we are pleased to be able to step in and offer a new home for Listen Well Scotland’s vital services.
“Together, I know we can do greater work than either of us could have done alone. In times like these, the third sector must work together to ensure a continuity of support where we can.
“We welcome Listen Well Scotland into the Change Mental Health family and reconfirm our commitment to making sure that no one needs to face mental illness alone.”
Listen Well Scotland opened a Listening Room within Nairn Community and Arts Centre in 2022 and will continue to run the service in the future.
The service is run by qualified volunteers and offers a safe and confidential space for anyone in need to have someone to talk to.
The space is available Monday to Friday and anyone wishing to book in or learn more can contact the centre or call 07511421309.
