Scottish mental health tartan launched

A Scottish beauty queen wrapped up warm today as she modelled the world's first mental health charity tartan.

Mental health nurse Louisa Thomson, finalist of this years Miss Great Britain and her sister Cristina, model the world's first Mental Health charity tartan. Picture: SWNS

Lousia Thomson, who was a finalist in this year’s Miss Great Britain, donned the tartan for the first time.

The 27-year-old, who is the reigning Miss Stirling, wants to use her position to help people talk openly about their mental health.

Louisa, who works for the Mental Health Crisis Team in Fife, said: “As a mental health nurse, I know anyone can suffer from mental illness and, sadly, there is still a stigma attached to mental health that doesn’t exist for other illnesses.

Mental health nurse Louisa Thomson, finalist of this years Miss Great Britain. Picture: SWNS

“Support in Mind Scotland and other organisations are working hard to increase understanding of mental illness and to support not only people living with mental health issues but their families and carers too.

“I am delighted today to be launching the first ever mental health charity tartan.

“It looks fantastic and can only help raise awareness and start conversations around mental health.”

Mental health nurse Louisa Thomson, finalist of this years Miss Great Britain. Picture: SWNS

The tartan will be woven exclusively in Scotland by Ingles Buchan and was commissioned by charity Support in Mind Scotland.

It was commissioned to celebrate the charity’s decades of helping those going through a hard time since becoming independent in 1984.

The charity says one in four people will experience a mental health problem each year and one in 100 will experience a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Support in Mind Scotland helps around 2,000 people affected by mental health problems every year.

Frances Simpson, CEO of SiMS, was proud to launch the tartan.

She said: “We are proud to launch our new, unique Support in Mind Scotland tartan - the first mental health charity tartan in the world.

“Launching the tartan is the culmination of a year of firsts for us, with initiatives both locally and nationally, giving us a great deal to be optimistic about for the next few challenging years ahead.”