By A Platform To Talk’s blue tree hopes to ‘spark the conversation’ surrounding mental health
A tree painted blue in Weelsby Woods has sparked interest on social media, with locals wondering the reasons behind it.
Now, thanks to A Platform To Talk, the blue tree is revealed to be a focal point, a catalyst to start a conversation around mental health.
Lydia mentioned Crown paint on Ladysmith Road and Coastline Home Improvements for scaffolding and Brandon Hire for a ladder, in their project day.
She hopes Weelsby Woods visitors will have the chance to talk about supporting people with mental health difficulties.
Most of the 900 trees around the world painted blue are in Australia in memory of Jayden Whyte, who took his own life in 2018 aged 29 years. At his funeral, his family remembered one of his pranks as growing up on his father’s farm was to paint a tree blue.
It led to the Blue Tree Project to encourage people to look out for their loved ones. There are hundreds of trees painted blue around Australia and reportedly around 6 in the UK.
Speaking further about the project, Lydia Gibbs said:
“It started in Australia, my father is Australian, his partner sent me a newspaper clipping of the Blue Tree project, it’s been on the go since lockdown.
“I contacted Friends Of Weelsby Woods as a courtesy, I messaged to ask them what they thought of the project for A Platform To Talk.
“I hope people will go to have a look, it’s there to get people talking about their mental health, even if it just gets people out for a walk.
“Yesterday, everybody who walked past wanted to know what it was about, not one person was negative about the project, everyone had a story.
“One gentleman even donated some money as we were working. When my dad is in Australia, there are so many blue trees. “
When asked further on the mental health focus, Lydia said ‘Sometimes people find it hard to start the conversation about mental health, the hardest bit is starting, hopefully the tree will spark the conversation, it could be the opening to admit if you’re struggling. ‘
Lydia said: “A Platform To Talk, was setup after the death of my friend who took his own life, Phil, he had the businesses at the time, we took it on now as a charity.
“We’ve also been nominated for the BBC Humberside Make A Difference award, just to be nominated after a few months, its really exciting.
“My friend Phil would be proud of this, he would be grinning at the tree, if he were still with us he would have been doing it with us yesterday.”
There are currently 845 Blue Trees in the World. Only 18 of them are outside of Australia. ‘Until today there were only 5 in the UK. – we have made it 6’ they said.
“A Platform to Talk is part of something really big. The idea of the tree is that once people realise that is to do with mental health it sparks a conversion, it’s provides an opportunity to talk. Through conversion is raises awareness which is something we have always tried to do.
“I need to thank our painters as whilst I was stood chatting they were working hard. Mal Pearce and his lovely wife Sharon, who I’m sure had no idea what she was going to be doing. My son Daniel, who without bribe or payment was happy to help and Chris Chalk a reliable friend who I only needed to ask .” she concluded.
(Image: A Platform To Talk)
