A community-led mental health event in Glasgow encouraged residents to take care of their well-being.
Several local, city-wide and national groups gave out advice, leaflets and freebies at Springburn Shopping Centre in North Glasgow today between 11am and 3pm.
The event, which was a first-of-its-kind, was organised by Spirit of Springburn in an effort to combat the issue of mental health problems in the area, which remains pressing.
Helen Carroll, co-founder and chair of Spirit of Springburn, said: "The last four years have been unprecedented.
"The fallout from the pandemic is still being felt, with a big impact on services, and as a result, on our communities.
"Our idea is to source as many resources as possible ourselves that can have a positive effect and bring them under one roof and educate people on self-care.
"Springburn has been missed out on for decades. Rather than waiting to be saved, we need to do it ourselves."
Representatives of SAMH, LifeLink, Marie Curie, Papyrus, Men's Shed and more were at the fair.
Passers-by could ask questions, get a head massage, play chess and learn about the support available in the area.
Annemarie McRobbie, volunteer and group coordinator at FASS (Family Addiction Support Service), explained that they are opening a new base in Springburn to help the relatives of those struggling with addiction.
She said: "I was recently involved with Springburn Academy for an event and the classroom did a survey on how many of them have been impacted by someone's addiction.
"The result came back at 62%. We feel that's probably the same across the community.
"We are going to try and bring together a group.
"Patrick Thistle Charitable Trust gave us premises for nothing, it's wonderful.
"We're going to pull a group together and put on some training.
"At our other sites, people come in and do a wee session with our family support practitioner and get a wee massage.
"They walk out light as a feather because they spent some time on themselves, which is so important."
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(Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)
(Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)
(Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)
(Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)
(Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)
(Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)
Helen Caroll (Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)
(Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)
(Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)
Andy Johnston-Gray, a community links worker, was also present to promote the work he does, bridging the gap between GPs and patients.
Stationed at Possil and Springburn health centres, he steps in to aid those who would fall between the cracks.
He said: "Anybody that the doctors don't have time for, we step in and we deal with them.
"Mental health, addiction, homelessness, anything you can name, we can support them with.
"We can refer them to different places, counselling, addiction services, anything to help.
"It's like a stepping stone. A lot of people go to their GPs with something physical that's wrong but there are also a lot of emotional problems.
"We can help with that."
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