Supporting Parent Mental Health Day with Local Organisations
To mark Parent Mental Day, Graeme visited Mum & Me Angus in Arbroath and the High-5 Club in Monifieth
Mum & Me is a long-term nurturing support group for mums in Angus. It is based in the halls of St Andrews Church in Arbroath, with enough room for the mums to work on their projects, the children to have plenty of space to play, and a kitchen where lunch is prepared. They provide support to mums who have mental health issues, feel isolated in the community for a variety of reasons or simply perceive that society places high expectations on them and fear that they will fail.
Parent Mental Health Day encourages understanding and awareness of the importance of the family as a system where parent and carer mental health is as important a focus as young people’s mental health. This year’s theme is #BuildFamilyResistance which will aim to explore how family resilience can be built, minimising negative impact on either the parents and carers or their children and young people.
The High-5 Club is a youth club which takes into account the specific needs of young people with High Functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome. The age group for the High-5 Club is from S1 onwards but young people in P7 may also be invited to join the club to help support their transition to secondary school. The club meets at Monifieth Parish Church’s Gerrard Hall which is also used by other youth clubs including…
Graeme visited the two Angus groups, where he spoke with Kim Marr (Mum & Me) and Karen Morton (High-5 Club) about how we can provide better mental health support to parents.
– Graeme
I was very pleased to meet with the leaders of two fantastic organisations providing local support to parents. The mental health of parents can have a huge impact on families and it is essential that we raise awareness of the organisations available to offer support.
It was very encouraging to hear how the groups adapted during the pandemic to continue their support, and how they have continued to flourish since. I would recommend that any parents in need of support look into what is on offer through these local organisations.
For #ParentMentalHealthDay💚, Carol Ramsay – the chairperson of Mum and Me Angus – invited me to their base in St Andrews Church in Arbroath.
Mum and Me Angus is a supportive environment for mums in to work on their projects while providing a space for their children to play. pic.twitter.com/paTpnjNSrY— Graeme Dey (@GraemeDeyMSP) January 27, 2023
– Karen Morton
The High-5 Club is a youth club which takes into account the specific needs of young people with High Functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome. The age group for the High-5 Club is from S1 up to age 25, but young people in P7 may also be invited to join the club to help support their transition to secondary school. The club meets at Monifieth Parish Church which is also used by other youth clubs including Boys’ Brigade, Girls’ Brigade and Monifieth Youth Café. Groups for younger children and babies include Community Playdate and Breast Buddies.
