Mental health support will have a visible presence in the centre of Inverness soon after the Highland’s first Discovery College was approved.
Highland Council has granted planning permission for a change of use of the former Argos store in the Eastgate Centre.
The community-based learning facility is now set for an official opening in September.
Discovery colleges are common in England and in rural Canada.
But the Inverness centre is just the fourth in Scotland and the first in the Highlands.
It will use collaborative models to deliver physical and mental wellbeing courses and peer support to people and communities with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use.
Who is behind the Discovery College?
The idea is led by mental health charity Centred Scotland which has been keen to open a safe space as part of plans to regenerate Inverness city centre.
It aims to partner with other organisations to start a similar face-to-face venture in Caithness, while also offering online support.
Eventually, the aim is to have a series of similar colleges set up across the Highlands.
Internal alterations to the Inverness premises are being carried out to create a reception area and five rooms.
Donna Booth was appointed the Discovery College’s first manager in February. She said she is delighted the council has given the go-ahead.
“We have been doing lots of development in the background and will officially open at the beginning of September.
“Having a space like this in the middle of the Eastgate will bring mental health, wellbeing and recovery into the heart of the community.
“As well as the college courses and groups, we will also provide space for other organisations on a one-off or regular basis and drop-in relaxation and meeting spaces.
“A lot of hard work has gone into getting to this stage and we are very grateful to everyone involved and to the planning committee for approving this much-needed resource for Inverness and the Highlands.”
How can the college help mental health?
The college prospectus also includes wellbeing and mindfulness support, self-reliance programmes and classes including yoga and tai chi.
Students can be referred, or self-refer online. All the classes will be delivered by a subject expert and a qualified peer support worker.
A major driver for the facility is the Highlands’ consistently high rate of death by suicide.
Mental health issues have also increased since the pandemic which exacerbated isolation issues.
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