Mikeysline calls for greater awareness of male suicide this Men’s Health Week

A leading mental health and suicide prevention charity is highlighting the high levels of male suicide in Scotland this International Men’s Health Week (June 13-19).

Mikeysline, headquartered in Inverness and supporting communities across the Highlands and Moray, has established a men’s group to provide a safe and confidential space for men to share their concerns.

Run by men for men, the group meets monthly on Wednesdays from 6.30-7.30pm at the charity’s Inverness Hive at 19 Academy Street.  The next two meetings are due to be held on 15th June and 20th July.

Volunteers like Reece are providing face-to-face mental health support in the Highlands and Moray with Mikeysline.

According to the latest statistics from the National Records of Scotland, men accounted for 71% of suicides in Scotland in 2020. In every year since 1985, more than 70% of people dying from suicide have been male.

Mikeysline men’s group volunteer Graeme said: “Traditionally men struggle to talk openly about their emotions. Whether men feel like addressing their feelings is a show of weakness, feel ashamed for needing help, or are embarrassed to be struggling, it can be easy for them to bottle up their emotions until they feel like they are at breaking point.

“Although thankfully these old stereotypes are starting to fade, there is still so much to be done to support men through difficult times in their lives – and Mikeysline’s new men’s group goes some way to continuing that process alongside the text-based and 1:1 support we provide.

“By allowing men to gather together and share their concerns and feelings, it opens up the conversation that it’s ok not to be ok – and that there are others out there going through similar experiences. Just knowing you are not fighting this battle alone can make all the difference.

“Each session is themed around a relevant topic, chosen by the group at the previous meeting. As well as providing support and an introduction to Mikeysline’s other services, the men’s group offers a chance for men to socialise and meet other people with shared interests.”

Volunteers like Graeme are providing face-to-face mental health support in the Highlands and Moray with Mikeysline.

Mikeysline volunteer Keith added:

“Talking can be hard sometimes, but it can be powerful too. We have a safe and welcoming place where that can happen. Come and join us.  No pressure to be anyone but who you are. No pressure to say anything at all if you don’t want to. Just being with us can be enough.”

In 2020, suicides in Scotland were highest for men aged 35-39. Overall, one in every five suicide deaths was to some under the age of 30.

Mikeysline was founded in 2015 following the tragic deaths of good friends, Martin Shaw and Michael (Mikey) Williamson within 48 hours of each other. Mikey’s uncle, Ron Williamson, started the charity along with a group of like-minded individuals who wanted to provide greater mental health support for the Highlands, where suicide rates are higher than elsewhere in Scotland.

Rom Williamson said: “Speaking to many of Michael’s friends & peers after his funeral made me aware that there was very little help available for young people struggling with a multitude of mental health issues. What help there was seemed to be basically ‘man up & soldier on’, all in hushed terms.

Volunteers like Gary are providing face-to-face mental health support in the Highlands and Moray with Mikeysline.

“Over the seven years since Mikeysline started, thankfully more & more small organisations are breaking through this ‘macho’ barrier, and encouraging those struggling to open up, share, and help each other. Local celebrities such as the Stoltman brothers, football managers & players, and leaders in commerce are sharing their experiences, letting people know that it’s OK to talk.

“Now, in schools throughout the Highlands, the wonderful Mikeysline team is teaching resilience and hope to children at an age when this kind of training, and the assurance that they are not alone, is most needed to give them the armour they need to cope with future problems.”

Mikeysline offers confidential, non-judgemental support to people of all ages dealing with mental health issues, emotional distress or thoughts of suicide in the Highlands and Moray. It does this via a text line service at 07786 207755; WhatsApp at 01463 729000 and via its website; and live chat, Twitter and Messenger via its website. The charity also produces a popular podcast, Speaking of Suicide, and offers face-to-face support from four Hives across the region – at its Inverness headquarters, Tesco in Tain, The Place in Alness, and the Highland Yoga Collective in Nairn.

For more information, visit www.mikeysline.co.uk – or find Mikeysline on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Mikeysline expands mental health support for young people in Highlands

Mikeysline is operating a new Hive in Easter Ross to support young people who are experiencing difficulties with their mental health, wellbeing and thoughts of suicide.

The new sessions at The Snug on Alness’ High Street run on Wednesdays from 4.30-8pm, and offer 11-25-year-olds access to free, impartial, face-to-face mental health support. Appointments can be made by emailing enquiries@mikeysline.co.uk, phoning 01463 729000, or soon by booking directly here on our website.

Emily Stokes, CEO of Mikeysline, said: “Research has shown that 75% of all mental health problems are established by the age of 24 – with two fifths of adolescents experiencing a mental health issue in any given year.

“Our new service in Easter Ross, along with our other youth services, allows a safe space for young people to talk openly about their mental health and any issues that are impacting on their wellbeing and thoughts without fear of judgement.

“In the last two years we have seen a significant increase in the number of young people accessing our services, often with pandemic-related anxieties – either caused by isolation, or fears surrounding reintegration into the wider community.

“It’s so important to remember that it’s ok not to be ok, and that help and support is out there for anyone who needs it.”

Mikeysline is well supported by young people in the area, who recognise its importance in promoting positive mental health for Highland residents. Last year the charity was well represented at the Highland Youth Parliament conference, while more recently pupils from Millburn and Inverness Royal Academies have carried out major fundraising events. 

The charity – which was recently named Third Sector Organisation of the Year at the HTSI Awards and Charitable Organisation of the Year at the Highland Heroes Awards – also has over 70 youth champions in schools across the Highlands, who help ensure the ongoing dialogue about mental health and awareness in their schools, fundraise for Mikey line and spread the word about its services.

Mikeysline youth champion Ross Kinnaird added: “Having youth champions in every school in the Highlands and Moray is so important. We have been able to spread the word about Mikeysline through our activities – and it would be amazing to see that happening in even more towns across the area.”

The new service in Alness complements Mikeysline’s existing support services for young people, which includes dedicated sessions at The Hive Inverness, running from Monday-Saturday, with the charity also offering support for young people at its Hive in Tain on Wednesdays from 4-8pm.

Students are taking a stand by taking a seat

What can we say? We love it when our community goes against the grain to support and raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention across the Highlands and Moray. In this case, we’re celebrating the students of Inverness Royal Academy, who rather than standing up to mental health discrimination, decided to take a seat!

That’s right, to show their support and help raise funds for Mikeysline, 35 students from Inverness Royal Academy embarked on an epic sit-in at Caledonian Thistle Stadium on 8th March. 

Sports coaching students, Amy and Helen shared: “Our teacher told us about a sponsored sit-down that he had been a part of and we all thought it was a great idea. We wanted to do something completely different to help raise money and so we thought this would be perfect.”

Amy and Helen, along with their classmates, made up of S5 and S6 pupils from the sports coaching class, raised funds by collectively sitting on all 7,512 seats in the stadium within an impressive 30 minutes.

Having set up a GoFundMe page, the girls explained: “The class decided to support Mikeysline as now, more than ever, we’ve realised the impact of mental health on our everyday lives. Lockdown has affected a lot of people mentally and we wanted to raise money and spread awareness for this charity who do such a great job in helping to change people’s lives for the better.”

As a result of their fantastic efforts, the students have raised over £500 for Mikeysline. With this we can continue to support people all over the Highlands and Moray who are struggling with their mental health.

At Mikeysline, we’re always so grateful and overwhelmed by the generosity and support we receive from our local community. By giving as little as £5 you could be funding a call for help from someone who is struggling to cope, and as this figure increases, the more support we can give to our communities.

From the team at Mikeysline, we want to thank Amy and Helen, along with their classmates at Inverness Royal Academy, for all their efforts and hard work in setting up this amazing fundraising event. If you wish to add to their fundraising total, visit their GoFundMe page.

Mikeysline expands mental health support with new WhatsApp text service

A Scottish mental health charity has expanded its reach by introducing a new WhatsApp support service.

Mikeysline has added the new service to complement its existing SMS, Messenger, webchat and Twitter text-based support. Users can access the service by messaging 01463 729000 in WhatsApp or via the link on our website homepage at www.mikeysline.co.uk between 6-10pm Sunday-Thursday, and 7pm-7am Friday-Saturday.

The charity provides face-to-face and text-based support in the Highlands and Moray to anyone living in emotional distress or with mental health issues, and is committed to reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide prevention.

Mikeysline CEO Emily Stokes said: “We are delighted to now be offering support to those who need it via WhatsApp, in addition to our other text-based and face-to-face support services.

“As the world’s most used messaging app, utilising the power of WhatsApp is an important step for us to be able to reach more people who require mental health support across the Highlands and Moray. 

“Over the last two years, we have seen a threefold increase in the use of our text-based services, and expect this to rise further with the inclusion of WhatsApp. This gives users the flexibility to contact us for help in the way that is most suitable for them.

“It’s important to us that everyone who feels they are struggling knows that it’s ok not to be ok, and that help is easily accessible in a variety of forms.”

The inclusion of WhatsApp in Mikeysline’s offering has been made possible by grant funding from the Scottish Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, managed by Highland Third Sector Interface. The charity hopes that offering WhatsApp support will open up its services to a new audience – allowing them to assist more people than ever before.

Emily Stokes continued: “We are continuously recruiting and training new volunteers to provide support via our text-based services, and are always keen to hear from people who would like to donate their time. In these difficult and demanding times, it’s important to spread the message that help is available for those who need it.”

Mental health charity Mikeysline named Third Sector Organisation of the Year

Mental health charity Mikeysline was named Third Sector Organisation of the Year at a prestigious award ceremony last night.

The charity – which supports people in the Highlands and Moray living in emotional distress, with mental health issues, or at risk of suicide – picked up the award at the Highland Third Sector Interface (HTSI) Awards, held on Thursday, March 10 at Strathpeffer Pavilion.

Emily Stokes, CEO of Mikeysline, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have been named Third Sector Organisation of the Year. The last two years have been extremely difficult for so many people in the Highlands and Moray, and we are so pleased to be able to offer support to those who need it most.

“Sadly, the suicide rate in the Highlands is significantly higher than elsewhere in Scotland so it’s clear that more needs to be done to destigmatise the conversation surrounding mental health and suicide.

“In the last year, we have invested in new Hives across the Highlands to offer increased face-to-face support; launched new services specifically aimed at young people and men; and added four more options to our text-based listening service, with WhatsApp being the most recent additional option.

“We’d like to thank the judges at HTSI for recognising the work that we do, and for supporting us as we continue to expand our services across the region. We want everyone that may be struggling to know that it’s ok not to be ok, and that help and support is available.”

HTSI Awards judges were impressed by Mikeyline’s dedication to championing much needed changes to the approach to stigma around mental health and suicide in the Highlands; acknowledged that much had been achieved since 2015 by the charity when it was established in the face of tragedy to offer hope to others; and said that the charity needed little introduction given its profile and the impact it has had over the last year.

Since 2015, Mikeysline has offered confidential, non-judgemental support to people of all ages with mental health issues or in emotional distress in the Highlands via a text line service at 07786 207755, WhatsApp at 01463 729000, and live chat, Twitter and Messenger via its website. The charity also produces a popular podcast, Speaking of Suicide, and offers face-to-face support from three Hives across the area – at its Inverness headquarters; at Tesco in Tain; and at Am Bothan Community Café by Skiach, Evanton.