- SAMH and Stagecoach’s Wellbeing on Wheels bus service comes to an end after an almost 5 year partnership
- Farewell events across bus stations in Fife marked the end of the service
- Last year over 2,000 people used the Wellbeing on Wheels drop in service
The partnership between SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health) and Stagecoach East Scotland to deliver a Wellbeing on Wheels bus has come to an end after almost 5 years.
During this time, the dedicated and specially branded bus operated by Stagecoach, and staffed by the experienced SAMH team have supported the mental health of individuals via drop in sessions on the vehicle. The team attended events in the heart of the community where people could jump on board the bus to connect with others, explore mental health, find out how to raise awareness and challenge mental health stigma, allowing them to build resilience and improve their ability to manage their mental wellbeing.
Last month Stagecoach and SAMH marked the end of the partnership with farewell events. The farewell events took place across four different bus stations across Fife. They were at Dunfermline, Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy and Leven bus stations for two-hour sessions each, with 42 people accessing one to one support throughout the day.
These sessions tackled issues such as bereavement, mental health diagnosis, substance misuse, survivor of abuse and more, with one piece of feedback “You cheered me right up today having a chat” showing the immediate impact the sessions can have.
In 2024, through the partnership, Wellbeing on Wheels engaged with over 2,000 people, including vital one-to-one supports as well as light touch support. The activity could include anything from short conversations about mental health and wellbeing to signposting to mental health support services or other local opportunities for wellbeing.
The Wellbeing on Wheels team supported people with a variety of mental health challenges such as low mood, anxiety, bereavement, childhood trauma, addiction, job worries and life changes.
As well as community drops in outreach sessions, the Wellbeing on Wheels project engaged with 12 different partner organisations across 36 days throughout the year, including large employers, organisations and major events. Interest in the service increased during 2024 through word of mouth and social media marketing, resulting in repeat bookings from major employers such as Barclays and Ineos. These employers note that engagement with the service continued to increase as people became more comfortable speaking about mental health and the one-to-one interactions were truly valued by the individuals.
The team also heard how beneficial it was for people to get out of their work environment and board the bus to have a chat, with several individuals engaging with the SAMH team and later returning with colleagues.
Susan Neilson, Fife Services Manager at SAMH said:
“Wellbeing on Wheels has been a hugely popular initiative, and the team is immensely proud of how many people we have helped. We’ve seen the bus pop up at music festivals, schools, high streets, airports and offices, just to name a few, providing a safe space for everyone who comes on board.
“While our Wellbeing on Wheels bus is being decommissioned, SAMH will continue to provide accessible mental health support across Fife through Sam’s Cafe. This is our dedicated drop-in service open in Kirkcaldy, Leven, and Dunfermline, providing free of cost support without the need for an appointment.”
Sarah Elliott, Commercial Director for Stagecoach East Scotland said: “We’ve been incredibly proud to support SAMH with the Wellbeing on Wheels bus and the amount of support the partnership has enabled, to people who need it. Although we’re saying farewell to our dedicated vehicle for drop ins, we’re hopeful we can continue to support the charity in other ways in the future.”