Ever since the Glasgow Association for Mental Health (GAMH) was established in 1978, our vision has remained the same.

We are working towards a time when all of Scotland’s people will have full and equal citizenship rights regardless of their mental health status.

Over 45 years later, GAMH continues to work in Glasgow’s communities to realise that vision with the help of our dedicated workforce, volunteers, supporters and funders.

• Recovery is happening when people can live well in the presence or absence of mental health symptoms.
• Recovery is unique to every individual, and our role is to support that process through a highly personalised service over which the service user has maximum control.
• People first philosophy: People have the right to an identity separate from symptoms, diagnosis, illness or disability. We are not our labels.
• Every one of us has Human Rights that are based on the principles of Dignity, Equality, Freedom, Respect and Autonomy.
• A person’s rights, interests, strengths, and background should always be respected, despite the presence of problems or symptoms.
• People who have lived experience of mental health problems are the experts in their own lives. They have within them the strength and potential to find solutions to their own problems.
• The helping relationship is based on partnerships, mutual learning and trust. Recovery-based services encourage personal development, creativity, resilience, resourcefulness, and hope (belief that recovery is possible).
• Social justice and social inclusion are essential for recovery. Everyone should have the chance to make the most of their lives and their talents.
• Services should promote choice, citizenship, and participation in community life. People are entitled to a life beyond the role of “mental health service user”.
• The contribution of family, friends, peers (people with lived experience of mental health recovery) and other supporters to a person’s recovery and wellbeing should always be recognised and valued.
• People who use services tend to value the personal qualities of staff at least as much as formal qualifications. Compassion, optimism, creativity, reliability, and resilience are some of the qualities essential for the delivery of a recovery-based service.

GAMH is an independent Scottish charity that helps people who are recovering from mental health problems. We aim to help them live the lives that they want to live.

We do this by providing over 2,000 hours of community-based support every week to people in Glasgow. GAMH services help and support Adults, Young People, and Carers.

From our community hub, to our specialist Compassionate Distress Response Service (CDRS) and one-to-one support, GAMH is helping people live for today and tomorrow.

The history of GAMH charts how a small, unincorporated association providing support and advocacy in local communities evolved into a leader in mental health and social care provision. Nearly five decades after it was first established in 1978, GAMH is at the forefront of mental health and social care support in Glasgow. Our expertise now helps to influence practice and policy not only locally, but regionally and nationally across Scotland.

By 1990, the implementation of the Care in the Community Act and the psychiatric hospital closure programme saw GAMH expand the range and volume of services provided. Delivering practical mental health recovery support within Glasgow had become the core of GAMH’s mission.

In response to growing needs in the community, GAMH became a company limited by guarantee in 1995. GAMH continues to this day to operate with its own Board of Directors, who are also the Trustees of the charity. This structure ensures that we are completely focused on delivering for the people of Glasgow. It also allows GAMH to seek, receive and use funding from grants and public bodies to achieve our objectives.

As needs have changed and best practices have evolved, GAMH has demonstrated a aptitude for developing creative solutions and innovative practices.

A few of the most significant innovations include:

• The first mental health project to specifically address the needs of Black and Ethnic Minority Communities was established by GAMH in 1993.
• Our Supported Accommodation Service evolved from a group living and supported tenancy model into a modern Housing Support Service offered to people living in their own independent tenancies.
• The first user-led mental health advocacy service in Glasgow was developed in the mid-1990s by GAMH and has since become, with our support, an independent organisation called Advocacy Matters.
• The first employability-related mental health services, Clubhouses, in Glasgow were established by GAMH and Scotia Clubhouse is still managed by GAMH.
• The specific needs of carers of people with mental health problems have been recognised by GAMH for many years. The organisation developed the first support service for mental health carers and the first support project for young carers in Glasgow.
• The Mental Health Forum established by GAMH in the early 1990s to promote the voice and views of Service Users has become, with our support, the user-led Mental Health Network, Greater Glasgow, an independent charitable organisation.

Today, GAMH is adopting an enterprising approach to the work we do. We know that to achieve our mission and create opportunities for the people we support and represent, we must develop new ways of earning our income.

Our social aims will remain the priority and our financial goals exist to ensure our success in benefiting the public.

There are many ways you can support our work and help people in Glasgow.

You can:

• Join the GAMH team: help us deliver mental health recovery services in Glasgow
• Volunteer with GAMH
• Donate: Every donation means we can continue helping people in Glasgow with vital mental health services
• Fundraise: Hold a cake sale, take on a challenge, or plan your own event for GAMH
• Share on social media: Spread the word about our services on Facebook, X and Instagram.