Health and wellbeing

Families across Scotland will benefit from a £1 million investment in charities specialising in mental health and wellbeing support in pregnancy and early years.

A new report published by NatureScot, and written in partnership with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, looked at the climatic range of native trees, in terms of rainfall and temperature, to identify the best places to protect their genetic diversity.

The grant is funded by Transport Scotland and delivered by Sustrans Scotland and supports community groups to improve their local, traffic-free section of the National Cycle Network by providing equipment and training.

Scotland’s community tourism network is launching a nationwide roadshow in a bid to support existing community tourism providers and encourage more communities to take a lead in providing grassroots owned tourism facilities and services.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are leading the development and establishment of the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Social Care on behalf of the Scottish Government with a proposed launch date of spring 2023 (read more about the National Centre here). 

Join Farmstrong Scotland, a new well-being initiative, for their 12 date 2023 launch tour - “Live well, to Farm and Croft Well” - which kicks off at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingleston on the 30 January and ends on the 16^th February in Stirling.

Recognising the pressures short-term lets hosts face at this time, legislation has been laid to extend the deadline for applying for a licence by six months to 1 October 2023.

Former Royal Marines and farming charity RSABI are working together to deliver a pioneering mental health initiative for Scottish agriculture, being rolled out from this month.

The ground-breaking Mental Health First Aid training is aimed at encouraging people to talk more freely about mental health, reducing stigma and improving understanding about what to look out for and how to respond when someone may be struggling.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust have just released an excellent and engaging film about the relationship between islanders and the sea focusing on Orkney. 'Our film – Oceans of Value', captures interviews with 26 local people in Orkney to unearth their values and relationship with the sea, how they have seen the marine environment change and how they would like to see it managed in the future.