Aberdeen City Council as part of its commitment to help people living in the city to access opportunities to aid their mental, physical and social wellbeing has organised the ‘I’m Fine festival, next month (October 2024).
The FREE to attend festival opens on Monday 7 October and closes on Saturday 12 October.
The Council’s Healthy Minds team and City Libraries team have worked together to deliver the festival as part of the Council’s commitment to the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP). The LOIP’s vision is for Aberdeen to be a place where all people can prosper, regardless of their circumstances.
Councillor Martin Greig, Convener of the Education and Children’s Services Committee, said: “It’s so easy to reply I’m fine, when asked how you are, but if we are being honest, sometimes we are not okay. The ‘I’m Fine’ festival aims to give anyone living in Aberdeen the chance to find out more about how they can help support their mental health.
“I would encourage citizens to take some time for themselves and try to attend the festival as it is free and will help direct them to where they can find help if they need it.”
Councillor Jessica Mennie, Vice-Convener of the Education and Children’s Services Committee, said: “The festival programme offers free activities and events at various times during the day and evening which will give more options to people who have family, work commitments, or find themselves excluded from such activities normally because they can’t afford them.
“We want everyone living in Aberdeen to have access to good mental health.”
The festival offers:
- Talks about the asylums and psychiatric hospitals of Aberdeen through time; Suicide prevention, dementia and lived experiences.
- Workshops will include art; creative writing; yoga; supporting an ageing LGBT+ population; and ACVO-led workshops offering support and advice on how groups and individuals can apply for funding through the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund. Advance booking is required for the workshops only.
- Information stalls featuring Aberdeen Foyer, Four Pillars, Penumbra, Turning Point Scotland, Aberdeen Cyrenians and SAMH(Scottish Action for Mental Health).
- Exhibition of art, creative writing and artifacts on the theme of mental health.
For more details, including booking information for the workshops, please visit the Aberdeen City Libraries website.
The festival coincides with World Mental Health Day 2024 (Thursday 10 October). Its theme this year is ‘It’s time to prioritise mental health in the workplace.’