A mental health centre, which was opened as a poignant legacy to a north-east mother, has helped more than 300 people since it opened its doors four months ago.
Shirley’s Space was established by the family of Shirley McCombie in August and has proved a major success since in tackling mental health issues.
The base in Crimond provides a wide range of services to those across the region and is dedicated to the memory of the former nursery teacher.
Shirley, of Peterhead, took her own life in August last year after struggling with depression. Her family subsequently dedicated themselves to building a legacy for her and raised funds to launch the service out of Crimond Medical Centre.
Shirley’s Space created by ‘much-loved’ family of north-east woman who took her own life
Four months on, the centre has helped 336 people struggling with their mental health.
Shirley’s nephew Cameron Findlay is a founder and a trustee at the base, and is proud of what they have achieved in such a short space of time.
He said: “We average about 25 individuals visiting us every week and within our first week we directly saved the lives of four people.
“Not only do we hold our own services, we also offer outreach support where we work with other local charities and job centres offering our services.
“We are trying to expand to other places, but as an organisation, we are still at an early stage and don’t want to burn out.
“The support we have had locally has been excellent.”
