National peer support suicide prevention project heads to Shetland!
This month our team are flying north to collaborate with people, communities and organisations in Shetland as part of Creating Hope with Peer Support.
Creating Hope with Peer Support creates conditions for peer support to thrive. Championing peer support so it is recognised, understood, and valued as a vital part of suicide prevention in Scotland.
We’re partnering with Voluntary Action Shetland, NHS Shetland, Shetland Link Up and Shetland Fire and Rescue Service, to bring local organisations, communities and people with lived experience together across a range of events and workshops exploring the unique strengths and challenges of suicide prevention in remote and rural areas.
While on the island we’ll be collaborating with local peer support groups and services to provide different spaces for open conversations, mentoring, sharing practice, and building connections. This includes a workshop with first responders exploring the Creating Space for Distress Framework – a human to human response to people experiencing crisis situations and distressing experiences.
Learning from across the visit to Shetland will be shared nationally and beyond to benefit other rural communities. Scottish Recovery Network Projects Coordinator Catriona McDougall said:
We’re looking forward to a mutual learning experience with people and services involved in mental health recovery and suicide prevention in Shetland. We have made some great connections and are excited to be able to bring our Creating Hope with Peer Support project to a wider audience in person, as well as share learning from the extensive activities in Shetland and the wider Scottish community.
Book for public events
Growing Peer Support in Shetland: Thursday 20 November 2025
10:00-14:15, Shetland Museum & Archives
A chance to connect and explore ways to link in with each other. Discovering what local peer services are doing, and opportunities to get involved in peer support and suicide prevention in Shetland.
- Book your place on our Eventbrite channel.
Creating Hope with Peer Support: Saturday 22 November 2025
10:00-16:00, Islesburgh Community Centre
Want to build confidence and skills providing peer support to people affected by suicide? This workshop keeps group numbers low to provide an engaging session where participants can explore peer support’s role within suicide prevention, learn about the Creating Hope with Peer Support Pathway, and exchange skills and ideas.
- Book your place on our Eventbrite channel
Accessibility
We support The ALLIANCE More than Words: #CommunicationForAll campaign. If you have any accessibility or communication needs that would help you take part, please let us know. To book BSL Interpreters or Electronic Notetakers, we need two week’s notice.
If you have any further questions, contact 0300 323 9956 or info@scottishrecovery.net
Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us directly by using Contact Scotland BSL
