Nairn volunteers asks: Do you have time to listen?
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A call by a Scottish charity is being made to engage more people in learning to listen.
The Listen Well Scotland charity wants more people to get involved in its work and is asking "could you just listen?".
Listen Well Scotland believes that being able to listen well makes a positive impact on mental resilience and wellbeing for people of all ages.
The charity delivers two services – the listening training programme and the one–to–one listening service, Listening Time4U. the service is normally delivered in community setting such as doctor's surgeries, schools and family centres.
Building on the success of the charity's third annual national campaign to get people listening, one volunteer who lives in Nairn has said never has there been a more important time to get involved.
Linda Harding (69), an international cross cultural mission worker, said: "I heard Maureen Wilson speak about listening some years ago at the Nairn Book and Arts Festival.
"I was inspired by her in depth knowledge about the benefits of listening and I felt I could offer something as a volunteer."
Miss Harding then contacted the Listen Well Scotland charity and embarked on the listen well training course. She has recently completed a second advanced listening course, held virtually over six sessions.
She continued: "It was totally amazing. Our job as listeners is to do simply that, to listen. It is not to offer advice, counselling or to solve a problem, we are here to listen. While we are trained to listen we can signpost to other services if people need support from professionals.
"Listening to someone can very often help people to clarify their thinking and find their own solutions to help them best manage their situation.
"Listening well can have a great impact on mental health and wellbeing."
Maureen Wilson, director of training and listening services, also based in Nairn, said: "Listen Well Scotland’s vision to is to develop listening people and build a listening culture in Scotland and beyond. As we emerge from this pandemic we believe listening is going to be even more needed.
"We are presently exploring different options as to how we can offer this in Nairn. Just before lockdown we had already begun to provide a Listening Service with Nairn Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB).
"Our services also include a whole schools’ listening programme because we believe in giving young people the life skill of active listening. We believe this will have a positive impact on mental health by improving peer communication and normalising young people’s experience rather than medicalising it inappropriately.
"We know how important listening is for mental health. We underestimate its importance at a cost! There is such an emphasis on talking about mental health or getting people to talk if they are struggling.
"Everyone can learn to listen well and make a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing. It starts with you. Why not sign up today and watch the ripple effect?"
Information about Listen Well Scotland can be found on the charity's website at www.listenwellscotland.org.uk, and for a brief introduction to listening the charity offers a short 'let's get listening' course online.
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