Legasea are pleased to announce that, throughout 2020, they will be supporting Mental Health Aberdeen (MHA), a local charity that provides counselling and information services to adults and young people experiencing difficulties related to their mental health and wellbeing.
Mental Health Aberdeen was formed in 1950, making it one of the oldest charities working with people experiencing mental health difficulties. We look forward to fundraising throughout the year, which we hope will go a long way in supporting the amazing work that MHA do across our region.
Mental Health Aberdeen is made up of a network of about 150 people. This is broken up into around 50 members of staff, and 100 volunteers, each working hard to run projects and offer care advice and support to those affected by mental ill-health. At present, the projects are spread across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, with many facilities specialising in their own type of care and support. This ranges from Counselling and information services, to befriending, support for carers and day services for those suffering from mental ill-health. The services support and promote individuals, as they work towards their goals, achieving things like recovery, increased social inclusion, or reintegration into society.
MHA’s services rely upon and greatly value a dedicated group of volunteers that enable them to provide the high level of service provision currently on offer. The charity funds training and support, as well as out of pocket expenses in return for volunteer’s valuable time, expertise and dedication.
Some key facts about Mental Health:
• 16 million people in the UK experience a mental illness
• Three in four mental illnesses start in childhood
• 75% of mental illnesses start before a child reaches their 18th birthday, while 50% of mental health problems in adult life (excluding dementia) take root before the age of 15.
• 10% of school children have a diagnosable mental illness
• The average wait for effective treatment is 10 years
• Suicide is the biggest killer of young people in the UK
• Just 6% of UK health research spending goes on mental health
• For every person affected by mental illness, £8 is spent on research – 22 times less than cancer and 14 times less than dementia
• Less than 30% of mental health research is focused on young people