Renfrewshire Council

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I'm a mental health first aider

Meet Lesley Rodgers

Image of Lesley Rodgers wearing high visibility jacket outdoors reaching to top of furnace
Lesley Rodgers, waste advisor
"Becoming a Mental Health First Aider was a natural progression for me, something else I could do to help promote positive mental health within my workplace community,"  says Lesley Rodgers who works as a Waste Adviser within our Environment, Housing and Infrastructure service.

Lesley's volunteer role as a mental health first aider means she's a workplace contact for any member of staff who may be struggling or facing a mental health crisis in their lives. "Courses like Mental Health First Aid are all part of lifetime learning and provided the opportunity to skill-share at work. 

"I'm really passionate about helping others improve their mental wellbeing and it's great to be part of this council initiative. We spend so much time with each other, it's important we all work together to support one another. When people are struggling or feel overwhelmed, they often don't feel ready or confident enough to talk to their line manager, or even to close friends who know them well.

"As a peer support, we're here to listen with care, and in confidence, and can link them to the professional support they may need.

"There are around 50 of us mental health first aiders with day jobs in a variety of roles and departments across our council services. What links us is our desire to be that friendly voice and reassurance that talking about mental health is so important. We're here to help and hope our colleagues see us as an approachable bunch who have their best interests at heart."

Lesley is also a qualified holistic therapist, reiki master and teaches coping skills for life.

Published on Wednesday 17 June  2023