Organisations came together to make strides towards tackling the stigma of mental health.
The Walk A Mile event brought together various groups who work together to eliminate discrimination for the event in Paisley’s Fountain Gardens.
Renfrewshire Anti Stigma Alliance (RASA) organised the event, which returned after more than two years of covid restrictions.
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Bernadette Reilly, chair of RASA said it was lovely to have everyone back together after such a long time.
She said: “We had about 100 people there including our partners which was great. It was the first event we’ve had since covid. We normally have one twice a year in May and at Christmas and our last event was Christmas 2019.
“It brings together so many organisations to promote good mental health and wellbeing which is needed now more than ever.
“People can speak to various organisations and get advice on their specific situation.
“We at RASA think it’s so important to tackle the stigma of mental health and every group has its own area of expertise.”
The Renfrewshire Anti Stigma Alliance partnership works together to challenge mental health stigma across Renfrewshire and improve attitudes and behaviour towards people with mental health problems.
Partners in RASA include Active Communities, Acumen, RAMH (Recovery Across Mental Health), Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership, OneRen, See Me, The Star Project, You Matter Always, Youth Services, Pachedu, Wellbeing First and Paisley FM.
Many of the partners had representatives at Fountain Gardens with stalls so that people could chat to them afterwards and find out more about the support that's out there.
This was the fifth Walk A Mile get-together and Bernadette said they’re hoping to have more events later this year.
She said: “I did the walk alongside a local lady and we were talking about how good it is that these things are talked about.
“Years ago it was more of a ‘pull yourself together’ attitude but that’s changing. Earlier in the day she’d gone into the park and knitted wee hearts that were like a hug and left them for people to find and put a smile on their faces.
“I thought that was a lovely thing to do. Wee acts of kindnesss like that can make all the difference to someone.”
To find out more about RASA, follow them on twitter @RASA_AntiStigma
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