It’s four years since Jordan Hart took his own life. But in the Perthshire teenager’s home town, his legacy has given birth to something remarkable.
With the support of the Blairgowrie and Rattray community, Jordan’s family has raised more than £25,000 in his name.
The money has paid for a series of mental health initiatives – including more than 50 ‘happy to chat, happy to listen’ benches designed to tackle isolation and encourage people to ask for help.
Earlier this year, Happy to Chat, Happy to Listen became a constituted group, with a website, a committee and big plans for the future.
And this weekend, the community will come together once again for the fourth annual Wellmeadow Walkathon in Jordan’s memory.
Supporters will take it in turn to walk – and talk – around the town’s Wellmeadow park over a 24 hour period.
And Jordan’s mum Susan and his pal Joselyn Turner will take things a step further, by walking for the entire 24 hours.
‘Happy to chat, happy to listen’ ‘is the perfect way to remember Jordan, says Joselyn, 21, his friend from Air Cadets.
“Jordan was a listener,” she said.
“People need to know they can talk about things, but it’s important to listen too.”
Jordan Hart’s impact can be seen across Blairgowrie
Jordan was just days away from his 17th birthday when he died in 2020.
The former Blairgowrie High School pupil was studying sports science at college, with ambitions of becoming a PE instructor.
He took his own life at the height of the Covid pandemic, when lockdown was turning young people’s lives upside down.
And since then, his loved ones, led by Susan, dad Gavin and sister Bethany, have worked to spare others the heartache of isolation.
In previous years, around 200 people from 50 groups, organisations and businesses have taken it in turns to walk around the Wellmeadow, raising funds and awareness of the stigma that still surrounds mental health.
Their efforts have led to a host of initiatives, including an outreach hub on Blairgowrie High Street.
It is used by groups offering mental health support, such as Churches Action For The Homeless, Barnardos, Mindspace and the Samaritans.
Blairgowrie’s Cuppa and a Cake group has spawned a new Blether and a Brew session in nearby Kirkmichael Session House on Thursday afternoons.
And the team has also organised a series of free mental health first aid training sessions this year which are open to everyone.
The next goal is to extend this training to local schoolchildren.
But the most visible sign of Jordan’s legacy is the trail of ‘happy to chat, happy to listen’ benches.
‘If we can help one person, we’ll have made a difference’
Every bench is decorated by one of the groups, businesses and individuals that have supported the Walkathon.
Initially the plan was to place five of them by the main roads coming into Blairgowrie.
But then the idea just grew and grew.
There are 51 of them now, in Blairgowrie, Rattray and along the Cateran Trail, with six more on the way.
New QR codes give information on organisations which can support people through a mental health crisis.
But they are also a place for locals and visitors to sit and chat if they’re feeling anxious or alone, or just in need of a breather from demanding, hectic lives.
The solid oak bench in the trees beside the Blairgowrie Rugby Club pitches is particularly special.
It’s here where Jordan’s dad Gavin knew he’d find him, making dens with his pals when he played for the juniors.
And now it’s where he sits and remembers the quiet boy, who loved woodwork and sport and his family; the boy who knew how to listen, whose example has touched more lives than he could ever have imagined.
“We always said if we can help at least one person, we’ll have made a difference,” said Gavin.
“It’s all about inclusivity and keeping that conversation going.”
This year’s Welleadow Walkathon starts at 4pm on Saturday and will continue until 4pm on Sunday.
• The Samaritans are available to listen 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 116 123 for free.
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