Awards are great, but it’s about the difference we can make
Perthshire charity The Lighthouse was recognised at the Mental Health & Wellbeing Awards Scotland last month. We asked operations manager Sharon Thomas to reflect on the journey that has seen them secure national recognition for their work with young people.
It’s crazy to think that this month it will be five years since we went live with our support services, from seeing a few young people a week to now seeing over 120 a week across Perth & Kinross.
From an evening crisis telephone line two days a week to a seven day a week support service providing:
- Crisis intervention for anyone 12–18 dealing with suicidal thoughts or self-harm
- On the day Rapid Response Service where there is a potential for risk of life
- Whole family support to ensure parents, carers and siblings are also supported
- Seven days a week out of hours crisis line support, 365 days a year
- Outreach provided weekly in all 11 Perth & Kinross high schools
- A Mental Health Ambassador programme now running in all 11 local high schools
Why have we grown so quickly? Because we respond to demand, if a young person is struggling with suicidal thoughts, they need to feel listened to and support needs to be started quickly.
We know young people can be very impulsive, they act in the moment and so often do not think of the consequences or outcomes of their actions; they just want to escape from their current situation.
Over 1200 young people have now been through our service and all are now in a better place, they can regulate their mental health better and as one young person said, “I now have a future!”
That’s what we strive to give every one of them, HOPE, hope for a future, hope to be happy again and hope that their current situation is temporary, unlike suicide which is permanent.
We have achieved this through providing Time, Space andCompassion for every young person who walks through our door; so many of our young people tell us, “I actually feel someone is listening to me now” and that is the basis for any safety plan to be successful.
We are also a proud participant in Suicide Prevention Scotland’s ‘Creating Hope Together’ community, a community we have learned from, participated in and shared our own good practise with.
The wealth of knowledge and learning within this community is unmeasurable and has enabled us to build the essential service.
So when we were recently recognised at the Mental Health &Wellbeing Scotland awards, winning the ‘Impact in the Community’ award and “The Trudy Williams Special Recognition Award’, this wasn’t just for Lighthouse.
It was also testament to everyone we work with, every community we are part of and most of all, every young person and their family who have helped us along the way.
When a parent contacts you and says, “thank you for giving us back our son, we really thought we were going to lose him but you shone a light in the darkest of days and we will be forever grateful”.
That, that right there, tops any award you could ever get!
If you are having thoughts of suicide, please reach out for help, speak to someone you trust or call one of these helplines:
- Samaritans — 116 123 or use the online chat at samaritans.org
- Breathing Space — 0800 83 85 87
- NHS 24 mental health hub — 111
- PAPYRUS HOPELINE247–0800 068 4141 or text 88247
If you are ever in immediate danger or have the means to cause yourself harm you should dial 999 and request an ambulance.
