Taking steps in Peebles to tackle mental health

Walk a Mile Peebles is being arranged by See Me community champion Bridget Dickson, who wants to get the town talking about mental health.

The aim of the event, on Saturday, October 12, is to show that mental health can be a topic of everyday conversations, by getting people together for a one-mile walk around the town. This is the third year the walk in the Tweeddale town has taken place.

Alongside the walk, Freda Douglas’s Depressed Cake Café will be open at the MacFarlane Hall, at the top of High Street, from 11am, giving participants the chance to chat about mental health over tea and cake. There will also be information stalls and speakers.

The Walk a Mile campaign was created by See Me with activist Chris McCullough Young, based on his walk around the edge of Scotland, speaking to people he met about mental health, changing attitudes one conversation at a time.

So far thousands of people have taken part in Walks across Scotland, bringing together health professionals, carers, people with lived experience of mental health problems, students, or anyone who cares about tackling mental health discrimination, to break down barriers as they walk a mile in each other’s shoes.

Bridget, from Peebles, decided to put the event on after seeing the benefit talking about mental health has had on her life.

She said: “Talking about my own mental health has without a doubt made my life easier. It’s amazing how, once you start being open about your own mental health challenges, so many other people will admit to similar experiences.

“Open and honest conversations are an awful lot easier when you are doing another activity, such as walking in beautiful surroundings.”

The walk begins at 12.30pm, starting and ending at the MacFarlane Hall. To find out more, contact [email protected].

z Pictured, participants from last year’s Walk a Mile Peebles.