Tulloch Homes donation helps Mikeysline expand local mental health service

Inverness mental health charity Mikeysline is set to advance expansion moves assisted by a £2,000 donation from Tulloch Homes.

Mikeysline chair Donna Smith revealed: "This funding boost will help us to progress a new initiative to provide more support to teenagers.

“It will also assist us in a new project to expand our activities into Easter Ross for the first time.”

Tulloch Homes Human Resources director Lorna Cameron said: "We’ve been actively supportive of our own staff during the pandemic, helping those who needed mental health assistance.

“Now we’re making this contribution to support Mikeysline, which does a superb job in our wider community. Fundraising has been difficult in the pandemic and we wanted to help.”

Donna Smith revealed that many local teenagers had been adversely affected by lockdown and Mikeysline has been contacted by schools.

She explained: "We’re developing a service tailored at young people, including a partnership with schools.

“We’re working with them to understand how we can best support our young people – whether that be one-to-one or on a group support basis and could even include resilience training.”

The charity, set up six years ago after a spate of Highland suicides, has a text-based support service but also operates The Hive, a crisis and mental health support centre with appointments and drop-in available in Inverness city centre.

Donna said: "Taking The Hive service outwith the city has long been on our ‘to do’ list and we’re now planning to face to face support from premises in Evanton in a few weeks’ time.

“Tulloch have been helpful to us in the past and we’re extremely grateful for this latest significant backing. Extra people will be required to help deliver our planned new services.”

Pictured is Donna Smith (right), Mikeysline chair, with Lorna Cameron, Tulloch Homes' Human Resources Director