Wheel-y successful week for Fife mental health initiative

28th June 2021

The Sam’s Wellbeing on Wheels mobile drop-in service provided Fifers with access to information and 1-1 mental health peer support last week, on board a dedicated Stagecoach bus.

The initiative, which was the first of its kind in Scotland, saw the bus parked up at various locations around Fife to assist peer support workers from local drop-in service, Sam’s.

Sam’s is provided by SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health), Scotland’s national mental health charity – the service is known in the area for providing Sam’s Café: a drop-in service based in Kirkcaldy, Leven and Dunfermline for people seeking mental health support.

Fife Provost Jim Leishman attended the initiative’s launch on Monday 14th June at Halbeath Park & Ride, along with senior representatives from Stagecoach, SAMH and NHS Fife Health & Social Care.

Local communities were invited to stop by the Sam’s Wellbeing on Wheels bus throughout the week in the same way they would at a normal Sam’s drop-in service – no appointment or referral necessary.

Peer support workers from the mental health charity have personal experience of mental health problems, and are trained and employed to help others.

Kirkcaldy community radio station, K107 FM, also backed the Sam’s Wellbeing on Wheels initiative, with information about the events broadcast on air throughout the week.

Susan Neilson, Fife Service Manager at SAMH, said: “It’s been an incredible week for us. We have seen first-hand the positive impact bringing the crucial support of Sam’s Café by SAMH directly into the heart of local communities across the Kingdom has made. If you missed Sam’s Wellbeing on Wheels in your area this week, help is still out there. We hope to welcome you to one of our Sam’s Café drop-in sessions soon.

“A special thanks to our friends at Stagecoach East Scotland for their help in making this all possible, and for their generous donation which will help us continue our work.”

Douglas Robertson, Stagecoach East Scotland Managing Director, said: “It has been really great for our team at Stagecoach East Scotland to support Sam's at these events. It means so much to be able to help and to take Sam's out into our communities, allowing those that really need support, to access the services they offer.”

Stagecoach East Scotland staff also recently selected SAMH to receive a £500 donation. As the joint winners of a month-long fitness challenge which took place nationally within Stagecoach, the East Scotland team were able to award the sum to a charity of their choice.

Further information on Sam’s drop-in services can be found at samh.org.uk/samscafe.

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