Andrew Buchan raised a grand total of £2621 for Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) by embarking on a charity skydive above the scenic Italian landscape of Casale Monferrato in September.
Andrew’s ‘Jump for Jamie’ campaign was in memory of his brother, Jamie, who died in 2017.
In his brother’s honour, Andrew spent three months raising money by placing charity boxes around Forfar, Angus. He also received donations online, using Gofundme.
Brig sat down with Andrew to have a chat about the experience.
Why pick SAMH?
“I knew I wanted to choose a mental health charity since that is how I lost my brother in the past.
“The mental health cause has been a part of my whole life, as I’ve struggled with anxiety in the past.
“I looked at Minds, SAMH, and Samaritans, but what drew me to SAMH was their walk in mental health centres they’re building. That really struck a chord with me.”
How did it raising the amount of money you did?
“The initial goal was £300 but then as more people kept donating, it [GoFundMe] kept automatically increasing the goal. That was the goal because I didn’t have much confidence that people would donate so I kept it small and attainable.
“At the end when I looked back I was like, ‘Oh my God! I’ve raised over 2 and half thousand pounds!’
“I never would have guessed it would skyrocket like that.”
Did you overcome any nerves?
“The nerves were getting to me but I was trying to keep a cool head.
“My friend made the mistake of looking down but I was keeping my head eye-level. I was not looking down.”
Why Skydiving? Why Italy?
“Skydiving is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, to push myself out of my comfort zone.
“The initial thought was Japan, but then it just evolved into skydiving in a foreign country to see the beautiful scenery in such a different perspective.”
Would you do it again?
“It was such an incredible experience that part of me wants to leave the memory alone so I’ll always have it in a vacuum to look back on and cherish. If I were to do it again I’d have to do it for a cause that was as meaningful as this.”
The walk-in mental health centres, known as The Nook, that drew Andrew to SAMH opened this year, providing “barrier-free access to mental health support”.
SAMH’s Chief Executive, Billy Watson, has said:
“The most important aspect of The Nook is the delivery of effective, compassionate and person-centred mental health support that empowers people to improve their wellbeing and manage their mental health challenges.”
Mental health advocates, including Andrew, are in support of this development.
Featured Image Credit: Andrew Buchan
Braw Magazine co-editor for Stirling University’s Brig and a third year English and Journalism student.
