McArthur backs ‘Time to Talk’ campaign
Orkney MSP Liam McArthur is backing this year’s ‘Time to Talk’ day (1st February 2024), encouraging people in Orkney to take part in ‘the nation’s biggest mental health conversation.’
The focus of Time to Talk day is encouraging people to be open and discuss their feelings, challenging the stigma around mental health. The first Time to Talk day was in 2014, run by Time to Change. It is run UK-wide, and in Scotland is delivered by See Me, an alliance run by the Scottish Government, the Mental Health Foundation, and Scottish Action on Mental Health (the country’s oldest mental health charity).
Commenting, Mr McArthur said:
“Nobody is immune to the challenges of poor mental health, so it’s crucial that we all continue to do our bit to challenge the stigma and help people to open up about how they feel. Time to Talk Day provides an opportunity to do just that.”
“There is support out there at a local level through a range of different organisations and services. At a national level too, SAMH and See Me provide important support. While more capacity is certainly required, Time to Talk Day does provide a reminder of the need to be more open and upfront about our mental health.”