James's Support Group organisers pleased with response of fans to stall at Ross County clash with St Johnstone; plans a repeat at Inverness Caledonian Thistle's home match against Alloa
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A SUICIDE support group had a good response from both sets of fans when it set up an awareness raising stall outside Ross County’s home game with St Johnstone on Saturday.
James’s Support Group is planning to do the same at Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s home match with Alloa on October 19.
Patrick Mullery, who runs the group, lost his son James to suicide at the age of 28 and this month marks the second anniversary of his death.
They arranged the two awareness raising events around today’s World Mental Health Day.
Mr Mullery said: “The response was very good. Both sets of fans showed an interest, and we had several meaningful conversations – plus one or two quite moving stories shared.
“We have had some new members from the day already joined the group, and I expect these people to attend the next meeting which is, as always, held on the last Sunday of the month at The Mercure Hotel in Inverness.”
He said he hoped to revisit home football matches in the area as the main audience would be males under 40 – who make up three quarters of all suicides the Highlands.
“We are not a charity, but a self-funded group born from necessity – I only wish there was such a group in my family’s hour of need when our son James took his own life. We have a donation box at the monthly meetings and there is a parachute jump happening this month by one of our members, Lynne Laird, who has kindly promised all donations to our group.”
The group now has almost 200 members and has helped around 400 people.
A clinical psychologist, Dr Nicola Urquhart, helped with the stall and has attended almost all of the group’s meetings over the last 18 months.
The next meeting of the support group will be at The Mercure Hotel, Inverness, on October 27 from 11am to 1pm – it is free and includes parking and refreshments.
