A Highland mental health charity hopes a new amateur nature photography competition will encourage people to spend more time outdoors and benefit from nature.
Mikeysline will launch the competition on Monday to coincide with the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, with proceeds helping its peer-to-peer support and crisis prevention work.
To enter, participants will be asked to make a donation of £5 per submission on the Mikeysline JustGiving page.
Photos can be sent using the hashtag #MikeyslinePhotoComp on Instagram and Twitter, or by including the picture in a comment on the Mikeysline Facebook page.
The competition, which is open to all non-professional photographers, will run until Monday, May 24, when Mikeysline staff will select a winner to receive the prize of ‘Tidelines’, an original artwork donated by Highland artist Reina Edmiston.
Clare Gordon, a support worker at Mikeysline, said: “This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is all about the benefits of connecting with nature.
“Exploring the outdoors can help us all to relax and reflect, which is why Mikeysline is inviting everyone to head outside with friends and family and capture its beauty on camera.
“Whether you’re taking photos in a forest, at the park, or in your garden, it’s our hope that you’ll feel the positive impact of being surrounded by nature.”
Getting outdoors can help mental wellbeing
Reina Edmiston added: “Getting outside to sketch and paint in nature helps me mentally recharge. Even 20 minutes spent outdoors can make all the difference to mental wellbeing.”
Mikeysline started in 2015, offering confidential, non-judgemental support for those with mental health issues or in emotional distress in the Highlands from The Hive.
It also offers live chat, Twitter and Messenger support – as well as a text line service at 07786 207755. The charity also now provides an additional support service for young people.
The charity reopened The Hive drop-in centre in Academy Street, Inverness on April 27 as lockdown restrictions eased.
The first out-of-hours mental health support centre provides free support seven days a week.