Pink Ladies face tough fight to keep vital service out of the red

WALKING down the main street of the community in which you have lived for years, saying hello to friends and neighbours, seems straightforward enough.

Simply stepping on to a bus or waving to old acquaintances are automatic reactions of daily life.

But it is natural responses like this that hundreds of women across the Lothians have lost out on as a result of depression, brought on by a range of issues from bereavement to substance abuse.

And now the very organisation which has helped more than 100 people in exactly these situations is facing a funding crisis which could lead to its closure by the beginning of next year.

Pink Ladies began in Midlothian as a small support group for a handful of females aged over 50 who were struggling to cope with the demands of life.

It is the classic victim-of-its-own-success story, having now swollen to the extent that 50 women are on the waiting list for help.

However, the money isn't there to support them and the group's founders are concerned that years of hard work could be ended by a funding shortage.

Co-founder and co-ordinator Sheila Peaston says: "We make programmes for the women to be person-centred and it's a hugely satisfying thing to do.

"We have some feedback saying they can smile again thanks to our courses, that they can walk down the street again and say hello to people.

"These don't sound like major things, but to the person involved it is massive.

"That is why we set small goals at first, but realistic ones, because it is so important in your mind to see progress and know that you are turning the corner."

Pink Ladies, which is based in Penicuik, has answered the call of women who cannot find the assistance they need either on the NHS or from their local authority.

People who attend the group's 10-week courses on confidence and independence, or access the regular support meetings, are referred either by their GP or another local women's charity.

In all probability, Pink Ladies saves public health agencies a significant amount of money by taking on people who would otherwise require support from the NHS.

And it is the charm of being a unique mix of professional help from trained educators, and having the local aspect - which sees Mrs Peaston and fellow co-ordinator Maria Martin regularly make home visits to clients and drive them to and from support groups - that makes Pink Ladies irreplaceable,

Indeed, their formula is so appealing to others that the duo have regularly spoken at conferences across Scotland, and hope - if the cash can be found - to expand their services from Midlothian into Edinburgh and beyond. For that to happen, money has to be found soon.

"The worst case scenario is we will have to close, because we cannot keep going without some kind of funding," Mrs Peaston adds.

"Whether it's a large grant from somewhere or small, local businesses chipping in, it would all make a difference.

"We've grown a lot in the past few years and had more than 100 women here, as well as another 50 on our waiting list."

The irony that depression is on the rise while a worthy resource is struggling to survive isn't lost on the pair.

Last year prescriptions for anti-depressants broke the 500,000 mark across the Lothians, indicating a significant rise in the problem.

There is an aspect of people being more likely to flag-up mental illness symptoms than they would have 20 years ago, but there is no disguising an increasingly discontent population.

Private clinic the Priory recently had to extend its hours from half-a-day a week to full-time to cope with the influx of requests for counselling.

And the Scottish Government has relaxed a demand on health boards to reduce the number of pill prescriptions they dish out.

"It can happen to anyone, and for a variety of reasons," adds Ms Martin. "We've had women with substance abuse problems, bereavement issues - all sorts of reasons.

"It became quite clear early on that we had to open the age range up, and we've had people in as young as 17.

"We started this four years ago because we thought there was a gap that needed filled. It's just taken off in that time."

Thanks to local business the Pias group, free accommodation has now been secured, but around 20,000 is still required.

The two women behind the organisation already pour massive amounts of their own time and effort into keeping things going, while attempting to pay their own bills and retain some of their own free time.

One hope on the horizon is charitable status. Until now they have been unable to apply to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator because they didn't have a permanent address.

With that obstacle jumped, the laborious form-filling process can now begin, but it may be too late to apply for funding to balance the books by next March, when cash from the government-run Long Term Conditions Alliance expires.

Ms Martin, who founded the group with Mrs Peaston because they felt there was a lack of help for middle-aged women in the area who suffered from mental health problems, also points out that the pair's inexperience of competing for funding can count against them.

"It's tough when you sit round these tables and plead your case," she explains. "We don't know the buzz words or the jargon that the big charities do."But we are passionate about the cause, and we hope that's what really counts in our favour."

It does seem bizarre that the very attribute that makes Pink Ladies such a success - its passionate community approach - hinders it when competing for grants, as emotionless representatives from large charities deliver a monotone synopsis of their mission statement in a trained, rehearsed manner.

Mrs Peaston explains that ideally, the set-up could have permanent funding, rather than working hand-to-mouth and hoping for a miracle each financial year.

"What we really need is some continuous funding to allow us to do what we want to do.

"We've been all around Scotland talking at conferences, and we'd love to move further into Edinburgh - and further - to continue the work we do.

"We don't want to stop what we've built up from the beginning, and it is a really vital service for women who suffer from a range of things in their lives."

To help the organisation, visit www.pinkladiesscotland.com

I FELT LIKE I HAD 'WIDOW' STAMPED ACROSS MY FOREHEAD

Margaret Mackenzie spent her time caring for her sick husband before he died seven years ago.

When Edward passed away, Margaret, from Penicuik, felt like she'd been left with nothing, but the help she eventually received from Pink Ladies made such an impression on her that the 75-year-old is now the organisation's chairwoman.

Describing the depression she suffered that was brought on by the bereavement, she said: "You begin to believe you are different from everyone else.

"You think everyone's looking at you, wondering why you were on your own all of a sudden, where you might be off to.

"It was so bad that I wouldn't even go on a bus, I just wanted to stay indoors. I felt like I had 'widow' stamped across my forehead."

Thanks to Pink Ladies, things began to change for the better.

"Just talking about how I felt to others made such a difference," she added. "It's so important when you feel like that to realise that other people are going through it too.

"It really is a wonderful organisation that helps so many people."