Lifelines Scotland has available evening dates for their free Staying Well training course:

Tuesday 15^th February
Tuesday 1^st March
Tuesday 8^th March
Tuesday 15^th March

Staying Well is aimed at all volunteer emergency responders in Scotland (including Mountain Rescue, Search and Rescue, RNLI, Coastguard, Flood Volunteers, Red Cross, St Andrews First Aid, and 4×4 Response volunteers).

Lifelines Scotland is keen to reach as many response volunteers as possible, and encourage people to contact them if they are unsure whether the course is for them; previously, they have run courses for volunteers who responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, and given the emergency nature of much of that support, those interested should contact Stephen Penny by email: stephen.penny@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

The course is an opportunity to meet with others and to learn more about what keeps us well. Discussion will include things that threaten wellbeing in participants’ roles and what protects them, and how to stock their Psychological First Aid kits. There will also be learning on the impact of trauma and stress, to help participants recognise when they might need some help and where to find this.

As a result of the Staying Well course, participants should develop:

understanding of the factors that contribute to good mental health
knowledge of the protective and risk factors which can affect the resilience of volunteer emergency responders
ability to recognise signs of stress and distress in themselves
understanding of the factors that support the wellbeing of individuals and teams
knowledge of the support available for them and their colleagues
opportunity to plan for what could be in their Psychological First Aid kit

The course is 3 hours long via Teams, with a short break included.

To book your place, or for further information, please visit the Lifelines Scotland website.