Health and wellbeing

People gathered from across Moray and the Highlands recently for the launch of a new social crofting project.​

The sun shone for the launch of Gaining Ground on 27 June 2019 held at Glachbeg Croft, near Inverness.

The year-long pilot project is being run by the Scottish Crofting Federation and is supported by Moray LEADER and Highland LEADER.

A further £50,000 funding has been announced by the Scottish Government for the National Rural Mental Health Forum.

​The National Rural Mental Health Forum brings together more than 100 member organisations from the public, private and third sectors and is dedicated to ensuring people in rural Scotland lead mentally healthy lives.

1-7 June is Volunteers' week - which gives us an excuse to dig around for some volunteering opportunities in rural Scotland! You can check out all the activities taking place over the week and find out how to spread the message at https://volunteersweek.org/

The Bupa UK Foundation is currently accepting applications for practical community-focussed projects that aim to support and improve people's mental health in mid-life. 

The Bupa UK Foundation's purpose is to help people live longer, healthier, happier lives. They fund practical projects to tackle challenges in health and social care and make a direct impact on people's health and wellbeing.

Update from Highlands & Islands Connections project

Earlier this year we reported on a new rural mental health project – Highlands & Islands Connections. In this article we get an update on work that’s happening in two pilot locations.

Support in Mind Scotland, a national mental health charity with nearly 50 years’ experience and that supports up to 1,500 people per week with poor mental health, has started a new project called Highlands & Islands Connections.

On February 27 a special Scottish parliamentary reception is taking place to celebrate the achievements of the LEADER Programme.

'LEADER, Past, Present and Future' will bring together MSPs with LEADER programme staff and funding beneficiaries, with Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment Mairi Gougeon MSP set to make a keynote speech.