News

Our partner SAMH will end mental health waiting list challenges for tens of thousands of people across Scotland, thanks to a groundbreaking new initiative that the Foundation is supporting.

The £10m project will revolutionise access to support by creating the nation’s first ever network of free walk-in mental health support hubs, finally giving people experiencing mental health problems a place to get help fast.

The largest mental health charity initiative in Scotland’s history, The Nook will provide barrier-free access to mental health support. There will be no need to book an appointment, no need for NHS referrals, and no waiting lists. Anyone looking for help can walk through the door whenever they need to.

The Foundation has been on-board with this pioneering initiative since the beginning of the football season and is now excited to reveal that we will be sponsoring the Youth Zone within the Glasgow facility currently being created in the city centre.

The Foundation has pledged to raise £20,000 this season towards the project, as well as promoting important messages about mental health and wellbeing as part of our national charity partnership with SAMH.

Billy Watson, Chief Executive of SAMH, said: “We believe people with mental health problems should be able to ask once and get help fast, so we’re taking action to make that a reality.

“The Nook is the most ambitious thing we’ve ever done. We believe it will revolutionise mental health support in Scotland.”

Foundation Chief Executive Connal Cochrane added: “You really can’t underestimate the importance of this project. The Nook will provide a lifeline for so many people in our communities struggling with their mental health.

“With tens of thousands of Scots currently on waiting lists, we couldn’t be prouder to do our part in helping SAMH respond to what they consider to be a national crisis and look forward to seeing The Nook and our Youth Zone take shape over the coming months.”

“The Foundation has recognised for some time the challenges people are facing, which is why we have our own mental health initiatives, such as the Changing Room, which is run in collaboration with SAMH, our Team Talk programme and our in-house trauma counselling service.”

SAMH HQ in Glasgow’s city centre will be transformed into the first Nook which will open in Autumn 2025. Further Nooks are planned for Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Inverclyde and Lanarkshire, creating a network of mental health support across the country. Each Nook will include an extensive outreach programme, helping many thousands more based in surrounding areas.

To read more about these exciting plans, visit the SAMH website HERE.