Time for tea and a talk on ‘Brew Monday’ 

St Magnus Café in Kirkwall will be hosting the Samaritans of Orkney annual event — Brew Monday — on Monday, January 16.

The third Monday in January is sometimes referred to as “the most difficult day of the year” but this is a myth. 

Samaritans say there’s no such thing as “Blue Monday” —  everyone has good and bad days, and those aren’t for the calendar to decide.

Joan Jones, the director of Samaritans of Orkney, said: “It’s time to stop this myth about Monday being ‘blue’ and instead start a conversation over a brew!  Reach out and connect with family, friends, colleagues and loved ones.

“We are grateful to the council and those at the St Magnus Centre Café for agreeing to host the event. We will have a few volunteers manning a table within the café from 10.30am-2.30pm. The volunteers will be handing out tea bags in small packets with the Samaritans logo on them and our phone number in case anyone wants to talk to us.

“Make time for a cuppa and a catch up with those you care about – it could be the start of a very important conversation.

“We are kicking off the campaign on Monday but it doesn’t matter when or where you are – if you are sharing a cuppa sharing and listening, that’s the most important thing.

“For more suggestions about how to be a good listener, take a look at the Samaritans SHUSH active listening tips and our little tips to help someone open up.

“You can also host your own Brew Monday event any day of the week! 

Joan added: “You could organise a tea party and raise money for Samaritans, host an online Brew Monday at work, or even do something as simple as picking up the phone and checking in with someone you care about.”