A Moray woman and her children are continuing a family legacy by helping run a mental health charity established 25 years ago.
The Moray Mental Health group marked its silver anniversary with a special event in Elgin at the weekend.
The celebration carried an added significance for Dufftown mother, May Wood, because the organisation was created in 1991 by her great-aunt, Katharine Reid.
The 36-year-old has helped out with the group throughout the past decade, after suffering bouts of depression.
And her twin daughters, Gabrielle and Bethany, were its youngest members when they began assisting at the age of four.
Mrs Wood is the group’s excursions co-ordinator and the girls, who are now 14, regularly ensure that members’ trips to places such as Loch Ness run smoothly.
The proud mum, who works at an Aberlour care home, revealed that the Moray initiative had seen her through some tough times.
She said: “Being in the group has been a huge help to me, it has given me a focus and something to do.
“I know that I’m helping others as well and it has an amazing impact on peoples’ lives.
“We are all in similar situations, and we are all volunteers with similar interests and experiences who want to make things better for other people who may be struggling.”
The charity is based at the resource centre on Elgin’s Maisondieu Road, and has approximately 80 members.
Mrs Reid worked as a mental health nurse and co-founded the Moray group with architect Phyllis Whitson after realising the need for such a network in Moray.
Her daughter, and Mrs Wood’s second cousin, Susan Wilson, wrote a moving letter to mark the anniversary occasion.
Group chairman, Peter Stewart, read it out during the event at Elgin’s Brewers Fayre restaurant on Saturday.
In the letter, Mrs Wilson thanked the Moray Mental Health members who rallied to help her family when Mrs Reid was diagnosed with Alzheimers, prior to her death in 2013.
She added: “As a family, we are very proud of her role in the charity, and wish it all the best in its continued work.”
