Banff and Buchan MSP supports Fraserburgh man's fundraising efforts

SNP MSP Karen Adam has offered her full support to a Fraserburgh man who is raising funds for The World Suicide Prevention Project (TWSPP), a project that could see the establishment of a mental health rehabilitation centre in the North East.

Danny is currently sleeping rough on the streets of Aberdeen until December 7

Danny Thain lost three friends to suicide in the space of nine years, all young men under the age of 25, the third as recently as this summer.

He then decided to do something to address the terrible problems around mental health and suicide, to offer help to vulnerable individuals and support to the bereaved.

He founded TWSPP which aims to set up Scotland’s first specialist mental health rehabilitation centre with an ambitious initial programme of fundraising £3m towards premises: a 16-bedroom house on a 300-acre estate in Aberdeenshire.

With a very hands-on approach to fundraising, Danny is currently sleeping rough on the streets of Aberdeen until December 7 and asking the public to contribute to TWSPP via his GoFundMe page with more than £9,300 donated so far.

Karen Adam MSP immediately saw the value in Danny’s actions and made special mention of him in the Scottish Parliament last week when the Banffshire & Buchan Coast MSP was addressing the chamber via video link during a debate on mental health stigma in the workplace.

Ms Adam has since written to Danny, thanking him for his efforts and offering him her full support, also sharing his fundraiser on her own social media accounts. Ms Adam is currently investigating grants or other funding avenues for TWSPP.

She said: “Suicide prevention is something very close to my own heart.

"During the debate in the Scottish Parliament about mental health stigma, I wanted to take a moment to recognise all the individuals who work so incredibly hard to raise awareness and provide support – Danny certainly came to mind.

“Like Danny, many have been impacted themselves by mental health issues, either personally or with someone they love.

“Danny’s experience of losing three young friends in the way he did is truly tragic but the fact he is using his lived experience to benefit the lives of others, working on suicide prevention, is wholly commendable an I hope to help him however I can.”

Writing on his Gofundme page, Danny says: “There is no way to describe when you receive the news that your friend isn't here anymore.

“It's a sobering thought and extremely sad to think of the loneliness that these individuals must have been feeling to result in taking their lives.

“We are fighting to buy a 300 acre, 16-bedroom Scottish estate to turn this into the space needed for these vulnerable individuals.

"The estate will provide significant amounts of space, peace, and quiet and have everything that is needed for this service within the estate.

“This will significantly impact the mental health community positively and provide a service that will contribute towards ending suicide. We are looking to secure £3,000,000 to create this.”

If you would like to support Danny in his efforts, donations can be made via Fundraiser by Danny Thain: Our Mission To End Suicide (gofundme.com).