Callum Beattie helps Highland mental health charity Mikeysline celebrate nine years of helping combat stigma
Mikeysline hosted a busy weekend of activities to mark the mental health charity’s ninth year of operations.
Aiming to provide accessible support to those struggling and break down barriers and stigma around mental health, Mikeysline’s Bee The Change campaign focuses on the power of human connection and changing the dialogue around mental health.
That was on show in abundance last weekend with a range of events that also helped to raise vital funds for the charity.
Kicking off the weekend was a breakfast with Santa and his elves at Balblair’s Newhall Mains, cooked by head chef Alex Henderson and his partner Rebecca.
Following that was the installation of the Mikeysline Tree of Love at the Botanic Gardens in Inverness, where High Life Highland have agreed it will have permanent residency.
That will allow Mikeysline to add messages of love, hope and remembrance to the tree, which was also at Belladrum earlier this year.
Helping to unveil the tree were ambassadors Callum Beattie and Dave Rogers, Emily Stokes, Emma Beavis, Nick Urquhart and his daughter Georgie.
Beattie would then treat those in attendance to a performance of the Mikeysline song Something In My Eye with the first ever Mikeysline school choir, made up of pupils from Charleston Academy.
"The power of human connection is so incredibly important to us as part of our Bee The Change Campaign and music really soothes the soul,” campaign manager Allana Stables commented.
Rounding off the weekend was the Clava Mains Market in conjunction with Moray Markets, where Mikeysline was the nominated charity.
Each stall holder provided a donation to Mikeysline, with over 1000 people in attendance to browse through the stalls, listen to live music and seeing Santa, singing elves and his donkeys.
"We are super grateful to everyone that supported and attended this event, we were absolutely blown away by the efforts of everyone and the grotto was just spectacular,” Allana added.
“We hope this can be an annual Christmas event for us."
