For Donna Booth, the location of the Highlands’ first Discovery College is an important statement.
The new venue has been formally opened amid the bustle of shoppers in the Eastgate Centre in Inverness.
“I love that it’s in the city centre. We’re not saying ‘this is mental health, let’s hide it away on a side street’, we are right in the middle of the shopping mall. It’s fabulous.”
However, she says, for those that need it, the college can offer a quiet and accessible space in a busy environment.
“It’s got its own little corner, so if someone is feeling vulnerable they can still come in. It’s a perfect spot.”
A safe space in the centre
The venue is the region’s first college dedicated to helping individuals gain a deeper understanding of wellbeing, mental health and substance use.
Led by mental health charity Centred Scotland, the facility delivers courses and peer support having seen an opportunity to provide a safe space as part of plans to regenerate Inverness city centre.
The aim is to have a series of colleges set up in existing community facilities across the Highlands, supported by the central hub and online services.
Funding has been approved for a base in Lochaber and Skye is another future location, as well as existing services in Caithness.
Highland Council granted planning permission for a change of use of the former Argos store in June.
The formal opening of the Discovery College was a special occasion for Donna, the centre manager: “It’s absolutely amazing and quite emotional.
“This is something that can make a real difference.”
The college has three classrooms, two offices and counselling rooms. A large room upstairs will be used as a performance space and for exercise classes.
Courses include suicide intervention and prevention, managing negative thoughts and advice for people living with mental health or substance abuse issues.
An art class is also linked to a project which works with prisoners.
Laughter yoga
On the lighter side, laughter yoga classes are offered to help reduce stress and increase positivity.
The college’s opening was accompanied by the sound of laughter as John Gallon, who is training as a laughter yoga instructor, demonstrated some exercises to assembled guests.
John, who took part in the first laughing championship this year, said: “Laughing yoga can help overcome stress and loneliness.
“It helped a lot of people during the pandemic because people had forgotten how to laugh and smile. We are trying to bring that back.
“It’s getting very popular now and it’s lovely to see everyone feeling very happy.”
Part of the college will be given over to incubator units providing space and back office support for new services helping vulnerable people.
The first start is Safe Space Inverness, designed for people under 30 who identify as neuro-diverse, LGBTQIA+, religious and ethnic minorities or coming from disadvantaged homes.
Hartlee Grant, a peer researcher and ambassador for the group, part of the Inari Collective, said: “I am neuro-diverse and struggled to find a place that’s safe for me and geared towards me.
College is ‘massively important’
“So getting the opportunity to start up as part of this project, and also to have a physical space by working with the centre, means the world to me,
“I’ve heard from people in the queer and neuro-diverse community in Inverness that there is nowhere safe for them, or made for them.
“So to be part of this project I know means so much to them as well. It’s massively important and I’m so excited and thrilled to be part of it.”
Guests at the opening included MP Drew Hendry who said there is need for similar centres around the Highlands.
“Facilities like this are a fantastic initiative in a place like the Highlands where we have unique challenges and geography.
“Having somewhere where you can drop in and access things like the Discovery College is really helpful.
“It’s really important to talk about these issues so people feel able to seek help and get the assistance they need.”
Conversation