Finding things to do to get you out and meeting people can be tough. Not everyone is outgoing and confident. If you have a mental health problem this can be even harder and it can be tempting to stay at home. Outside the Box is working with Angus Voice, a mental health advocacy group in Angus, on a project called Angus McFlourish which organises things for people with mental health problems to do.

Part one of this project is making a diary of events for people to go to. We want to find activities that people can go along to alone or with a friend, that don’t cost a lot of money and give you the opportunity to make new friends. Yesterday we went to visit the group to see what ideas everyone had been thinking of so far. There definitely was no shortage of creativity as ideas so far range from painting pottery to a photography taster session. Currently, we are making a plan for these activities for a year so people with mental health problems in Arbroath can choose which activities they’d like to do.

Part two of the project is making a list of activities run by other people that are mental health friendly in Arbroath or the surrounding area. If you have a business like this, or know of one, then let us know by emailing alice.otb@outlook.com. It would be great to encourage people with mental health problems to go to businesses that are warm and welcoming.

Finally, we will be sharing tips on how to prevent loneliness. From discussions with Angus Voice, and other groups we work with, we know that feeling down and isolated can be quite a common experience if you have mental health problems. If you have any tips you could share then send us an email at the above address.

Make sure to follow us on twitter and Facebook to see how our plans progress and all the ideas our friends at Angus Voice come up with. Angus Voice also have twitter, Facebook and a website which you can take a look at to find out more.