Dumbarton Road, Glasgow
Project: Dumbarton Road Corridor Stress Service
Grant awarded: £104,460
Date: September 2005 - March 2009
About
The aim of this project is to enable local residents to manage stress more effectively, and improve and maintain their own health and well-being. The Royston Stress Centre is delivering alternative health therapies in Dumbarton Road Corridor to address individuals’ mild to moderate stress levels, and was established in 1992 in response to local concern about the high levels of stress experienced by people in the area.
Therapy is provided at three different sites which are all community facilities: a community centre on a busy main road; a community health centre located at the bottom of some high rise flats; and a community college. Locating the therapy provision visibly within these community settings has enabled them to be regarded as just another community service, and therapists have observed that there does not seem to be any stigma attached to accessing the service. Providing these preventative mental health related services within a community context has led to new developments such as relaxation classes included in the community centre’s summer programme for adults; stress relief being included in the health week programme for primary school children; and stress management being integrated into employability agendas for local people wishing to return to work.
The project’s next step will be to work in partnership with the West Community Health Care Partnership, to look at how the model delivered by Royston Stress centre may provide a focus for alternative approaches to ‘anti depressant prescribing reduction’, a key objective in the West CHCP health plan.
This project is unique in the fact that it is using alternative health treatments to teach individuals to deal positively with life experiences. The group is well advertised and was recently represented at the Scottish Community Foundation Fair Share Trust event.
A service recipient and (now) part-time therapist says about the centre: "My life changed the day I walked into that stress centre and I still owe them my gratitude for their care and support in my journey. I am now working as a therapist".
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