I’d say my life before Venture Scotland felt chaotic, aimless and, at times, sad. I had struggled with poor mental health for most of my life, but things became much worse after starting university and dealing with several significant challenges. I was in quite a negative place, and I had a lot of self-doubt and very little confidence in myself or what I was capable of.
I had tried to get support before. In my first year, I had a short course of counseling through university, but it only lasted a few sessions and didn’t feel enough for what I was dealing with. I’d also had support that was focused on academic progress, employability, or professional development. They were useful in their own way, but they weren’t really helping me with my mental health or confidence.
I had actually known about Venture Scotland for a while. I first came across it in my first year when I was searching online for support in Edinburgh. At the time, I saved it, but I didn’t think I was able to make the commitment. Later, after a very difficult period, I felt more ready to give it a try.
From the beginning, my experience of the programme was really positive. There were two main things I hoped it would help me with: one was to try and do more to learn about my mental health, to improve my mental health, and seeing how the outdoors would help me with that and secondly, was to help rebuild my confidence.
My experience of Venture Scotland has been very fulfilling because this programme has been full of opportunities to try different things, to push yourself to achieve things with a group of people, volunteers, staff and participants around you who can help support you to do that. And I think that is something wholly unique from all the different things that I’ve tried.
One of the most important parts of the programme for me was the sense of community. There was a real sense of camaraderie in the group. It was genuinely encouraging to spend time with people who were all trying, in their own ways, to push themselves and grow. The environment Venture Scotland created made that possible.
That doesn’t mean it was completely easy. I found the first group meeting very nerve-wracking. I remember thinking to myself coming in; I wasn’t feeling amazing, and I came in and I was like ‘oh man, there’s going to be all these different people around.’ And I was really scared at that point that I wouldn’t have it in me to do this programme. Meeting new people has always been something I always find very, very tough. I often find conversations difficult, and social situations can take a lot of energy out of me. I remember feeling worried that I wouldn’t have it in me to do the programme at all. At first, I stayed very quiet. But through the activities, the atmosphere the staff created, and the energy of the group, things started to shift. Even in those early days, I began to feel more comfortable.
The biggest challenge during my time with Venture Scotland was balancing it with university. I study economics, and my timetable happened to fall in a way that made things difficult. Some weeks, trying to manage the programme alongside lectures, coursework and other commitments was really hard.
Looking back, I think the biggest impact Venture Scotland has had on me is helping me build confidence in myself and showing me the value of compassionate self-thought. I think what’s impacted me the most is definitely the community and the ethos of the programme – it was heartwarming to have so many people supporting and encouraging me to push myself, build resilience, celebrate even the smallest successes, and learn to give myself more credit.
The outdoors also had more of an impact on me than I expected. Before the programme, outdoor activities were not a regular part of my life. I had some experience of being outdoors, but it wasn’t a habit. Venture Scotland helped me see how powerful the outdoors can be for mental health, mindfulness and personal development. It also showed me how meaningful those experiences can be when shared with other people.
As the programme has come to an end, I feel grateful and positive. I’ve come away not only with new experiences and a stronger sense of self-belief, but also with real friendships and ongoing support. We still talk outside the programme, and that means a lot.
Over the next few months, I’ll be continuing with university and other opportunities I’m involved in, including leadership and advocacy work. Venture Scotland has helped me understand myself more, trust myself more, and believe that I can keep moving forward.