The free to attend ‘I’m Fine’ Festival returns next month as part of Aberdeen City Council’s commitment to help people access opportunities to aid their mental, physical and social well-being.
Aiming to build on the success of last year, the festival will run from Monday 6 October to Saturday 11 October, with talks and events focused on wellbeing and mental health being held across the city.
The Council’s Healthy Minds and City Libraries Teams have worked together with charity partner Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH), to deliver the festival as part of the Council’s commitments concerning mental health and well-being in both the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) and the recently approved Community Learning and Development Plan.
Convener of the Education and Children’s Services Committee, Councillor Martin Greig said: “In today’s fast-paced world, individuals can often feel overwhelmed and be quick to respond with ‘I’m Fine’, when asked how you are. However, sometimes things are not fine and this festival can offer individuals the opportunity to seek some support with their mental health.”
Vice-Convener, Councillor Jessica Mennie said: “Last year’s festival was a big success, with over 100 people attending events during the course of the week. This year the festival aims to offer more free sessions in more locations within communities which will hopefully make them easier for people to access the support on offer.”
This year’s festival programme of free talks, workshops and events will explore different aspects of mental health – including Electroconvulsive Therapy, Menopause, Mental Health in Farming and Agriculture, Children and Young People, and many other topics offering support for all.
Billy Burke, Head of Development – Children and Young People at SAMH said: “We are so pleased to have come on board as the main charity partner for this year’s ‘I’m Fine’ Festival. We believe anyone seeking support with their mental health should be able to ask once and get help fast, so we are delighted to see so many of our local organisations and communities in Aberdeen coming together to prioritise mental health and wellbeing.
“Thanks to our local partners and funders, we have been supporting Aberdeen’s mental health for many years. This includes our work to prevent suicide, as well as the provision of mental health link workers within GP practices across the city, and we hope to continue for as long as we are needed.”
The festival coincides with World Mental Health Day on Friday 10 October 2025. This year’s theme, set by the World Federation for Mental Health is access to services – mental health in catastrophes and emergencies. The theme aims to highlight the importance of people being able to protect their mental health regardless of what they are going through, because ‘everyone deserves good mental health.’
For more details, including booking information for the workshops, please visit the Aberdeen City Libraries website.