Mental Health Awareness Week
You may be aware that it is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK from 12 to 18 May 2025. It is an opportunity to bring the UK together to focus on getting good mental health.
It is essential to understand that mental ill health will likely affect 25% of the population at one time in their life. And it is recognised that the best way to deal with such a challenge is to talk to someone about it. It is really OK to say you're not OK.
Given awareness week, it's probably a good time to remind members of the guidance leaflets issued in recent years. Firstly, the Scottish leaflet was issued some two years ago and included in certificate renewal packs. The link to the SACS newsletter article is detailed here.
Firearms and Mental Health – Awareness and Support leaflet — Scottish Association for Country Sports
Following on from that, the NPCC issued the leaflet to all English and Welsh forces. A copy of that leaflet can be found here.
NPCC mental health leaflet FMH-England-and-Wales-PRINT.pdf
These guidance documents are designed to dispel myths, and if you have any queries or need advice, please don’t hesitate to contact us at the SACS office.
On a similar note, our friends at the Gamekeepers Welfare Trust (GWT) asked us about to highlight Raising the Game, which was launched way back in 2018 and refreshed in 2022. We want to ensure that members know they are welcome to contact the GWT Health and Wellbeing Hub and take up the offer of free and confidential consultations and advice on any health concern for anyone involved in rural occupations and their families.
It is available at a time to suit, including evenings and weekends and follow-up appointments. The GWT nurses are NHS trained, but the information is totally confidential and is not shared with the NHS. We all know how stretched services continue to be, and in rural areas, it is not always easy to make appointments.
More details can be found here.
As always, if you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us at the office on Tel: 01350 724 228 or alternatively info@sacs.org.uk