Focuas magazine launch

Mar 4 2010 by Marjorie Kerr, West Lothian Courier

A NEW magazine has been launched in the West Lothian area to offer support to people with mental health issues.

‘Focus’ magazine aims to bring people together who have mental health issues and promote their well being.

Elizabeth Mackay and Nicola Richardson have been working on the project and have been fundraising to make the magazine a success.

The magazine will have around eight pages and will be distributed to service users of charity Penumbra, which supports people with mental health issues.

The magazine will include reader's stories, hints and tips, recipes, film reviews, plans of days out and interesting stories about what people in the charity have been getting up to.

And organisers are also asking readers for feedback of what they would like to see in the magazine.

The group started fundraising last year to subsidise the cost of producing the magazine and held a raffle, with prizes were donated by businesses and shops in Bathgate, and a car boot sale in Bathgate Market.

And the first edition of the magazine was produced in December, with the second one scheduled for this month.

However, the magazine’s editorial team say they need more people to attend their meetings and get them involved with content and publishing of the magazine.

The first committee meeting will be held today (Thursday) at 11am at Ochil House in Livingston

Nicola said : “Focus magazine will hopefully help people throughout the West Lothian area with mental health issues feel part of a group.

“We are planning on raising enough money to organise day trips for our service users as well as providing them with a quarterly magazine to keep them up to date - but we really could do with more help and support.”