NEARLY £20,000 has been donated to a mental health cafe which aims to encourage people to share their worries.

Keep The Heid Mental Health Cafe was set up in Haddington in 2021 and has since spread to North Berwick and Tranent.

The group received funding, which will be spread over the next two years, from The National Lottery Community Fund.

It is hoped that the money will help the continuation of the cafe sessions across the three county towns.

Iain Gray, chairman of the group, welcomed the funding and said: “This is fantastic news for Keep The Heid and we are extremely grateful to the National Lottery for this award.

“We do, however, still need to fundraise to ensure the future of the cafes in East Lothian and possibly beyond.”

The Keep The Heid term ended with a social event for participants from all three cafes at The Hope Rooms in North Berwick.

Emma Jackson, founder of the organisation, said: “It was great to see so many discussions happening between all the groups and we would like to thank Yolanda Luca for the kind donation of ice cream for everyone and Gary at Marks & Spencer Fort Kinnaird for savoury snacks.”

Cafe sessions are currently on a break but will resume from the end of the month.

Emma added: “I would also like to thank our team of facilitators and volunteers who contribute so much to the running of the cafes.

“We simply could not do it without their empathy and commitment, and they deserve a summer break.

“We are always looking for volunteers who can spare a couple of hours in the evenings and have lived experience of mental health problems.

“If anyone is interested, please do message us on Facebook or email keeptheheidcafe@gmail.com”