VIDEO: Clips spread vital message as the world’s second strongest man Ross-shire based Tom Stoltman and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon lend their support to Inverness mental health charity's campaign
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Scotland’s First Minister has lent her support to an Inverness mental health charity.
James Support Group, which was set up by Patrick and Wendy Mullery from Cromarty after their son took his own life, is currently raising awareness of suicide by sharing videos via its Facebook page.
The It’s Okay Not To Be Okay campaign encourages more people to talk to others if they are having suicidal thoughts, with the winter months traditionally the peak period for people taking their own lives.
A number of short video clips show a range of people quoting the phrase “it’s okay not to be okay with contributors so far including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the world’s second strongest man, Ross-shire based Tom Stoltman.
There are also clips of everyday people from all walks of life whose first language is not English uttering the phrase in Polish, French and Flemish, with more expected, to reach as wide an audience as possible.
Mr Mullery said: “We have done this to highlight the challenges to mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic, as many more people are suffering for a variety of reasons, and of course we are in the peak period for suicides until the end of March.
“The campaign started in early January and we intend to run until the end of March, showing a different person each day.”
He said a number of organisations used the same phrase and added: “We have used the slogan ‘it’s okay not to be okay’ since the beginning of James Support Group in April 2018, and we needed a way to reach people by video. The First Minister gave us this in February last year, and we have been waiting for the right time to use it.
“The response has been 99.9 per cent positive, with many grateful comments thanking the subject of the video for doing it, and some have included a glimpse of their own struggle, which is very brave and inspiring.”
Anyone with an interest in mental health and suicide awareness can be involved and they are urged to send a clip saying the phrase to support@jamessupportgroup.com or via the group’s Facebook page.
