Lucy is originally from the North-East of England and moved to Kinlochleven last year from Manchester where she was working as a water engineer. She has experience volunteering in the third sector and teaches yoga.
“I studied and started my career in the engineering sector but found I was much more interested in the community and sustainability aspects of the projects I was working on. I transitioned to part time working to spend more time volunteering and eventually left the role altogether to move to Kinlochleven after an unusually (although I didn’t know at the time!) sunny September week hiking in the West Highlands.
Getting outdoors and moving my body, be that hiking, cold water dipping, or yoga, is so important for my own mental health and I want to help others in the community reap the benefits of time outdoors in and among the amazing lochs, mountains, and forests of Lochaber. I find that being in nature helps me to reset and put things into perspective.”
About the Stepping Stones project
Lucy is based within the Kinlochleven Community Trust and will be in post for one year to improve community mental wellbeing through nature connection. This has been made possible through the Communities Mental Health Fund from Highland Third Sector Interface.
The ‘Stepping Stones’ project aims to trial community- led pathways into nature-based health & well- being activities to improve and maintain good mental health; and to provide support and early intervention to avoid crisis. The project will be evaluated with support from the University of Highlands and Islands. This hopes to demonstrate how such a model could support healthcare-led pathways for treatment and care.
In addition to a variety of nature-based wellbeing activities there will be training, networking and resource development to assist the community in providing mental health support.
What my plans are for the project
“As project officer I will be re-establishing activities such as health walks and introducing new regular and one-off activities to support people into outdoor and creative activities. There is so much good information and local support out there for mental health, but there’s still stigma and difficulties accessing the right support, especially in our village with limited links to neighbouring towns and villages. I want to continue the work to remove barriers to receiving help and support and equip people with the knowledge to take control of their mental health and support others in the community.
The recent Local Place Plan will be a great starting point to ensure the project aligns with the needs of the community, but I’m very keen to hear any other ideas for what the community wants to see happening in the village. I’d like to create a sustainable programme of events that will endure! Please get in touch if you have any thoughts, ideas, or questions about the project.”
Find out more
Email: greenhealth@kinlochleven.co.uk
Mobile: 07542 609 363