Last night I had the pleasure of hosting the official launch of The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival 2016 in Lanarkshire which is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

The programme will run from October 10 to 31 and with 23 events happening all over Lanarkshire including comedy, exhibitions, drama, workshops and much more there really is something for everyone.

The festival aims to support the arts and challenge preconceived ideas about mental health while reminding us that mental health is important to all of us and we must all value and look after our own and others' mental wellbeing.

It’s very important for our mental health to learn new things and the festival aims to promote positive attitudes towards mental illness.

Despite the fact that most people will have some personal experience of mental ill health there is still stigma, discrimination and inequality experienced by people, young and old, who have or have had mental health care needs. This behaviour should not have a common place within our society.

That's why it's so important that The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival provides a platform to challenge, engage and explore the issues surrounding mental health.

There is also a theme to this year's festival which is time. Time is explored in many many ways throughout next month's programme, from the way attitudes towards mental health have changed over time, to the impact time has on our minds and bodies. In an age when time so often seems to be running away from us, how do we maintain a healthy relationship with it.

There is so much happening throughout the three week programme and it's not just happening in Lanarkshire but all over Scotland from Dumfries and Galloway right up to the Highlands.

In Glasgow cycling legend Graeme Obree’s story will be told in a film dealing with the sportsman's demons and finding the will to succeed on Friday October 28 at Flourish House.

In East Dunbartonshire Scottish Poet and author Kenneth Steven will use his words to soothe and invigorate on October 12 at William Patrick Library in Kirkintilloch. In Lanarkshire Britain’s Got Talent star Edward Reid is running a Wellbeing Workshop filled with positive chat, guided meditation and songs that will leave you feeling relaxed and ready for life.

If that wasn't enough Soundsational Choir’s managing director Tommy Chambers will be delivering singing workshops promoting positive energy and thoughts at Colville Park Country Club. These are just some examples of the hundreds of events taking place up and down the country and for more information you can log onto www.mhfestival.com. Why not come along and support some of the events happening in your local area.

Cowcaddens firefighter Stephen Burns will be undertaking an incredible challenge that will see him run from John O'Groats to Glasgow, covering a distance of just more than 300 miles in 11 days. That's the equivalent of 11 marathons. As a firefighter Stephen witnesses firsthand the devastating effects that fire brings to families, particularly to children. The children's burns unit in the Royal Hospital for Children already does a fantastic job of caring and rehabilitating children from all over Scotland who have been burned by fire.

Stephen wants to further aid the unit by raising funds and awareness for the fantastic work they do. The challenge starts on Monday October 3 at Duncansby Head lighthouse and finishes in George Square in Glasgow so if you can spare any change for this incredible cause and challenge please log onto here

My local area of Shawlands in the South Side of Glasgow is in for a real treat as makeup artist to the stars Ainslie Currie is opening her brand new POP Make-Up Bar on Kilmarnock Road this weekend. Having worked at both London and Paris fashion weeks and with superstars such as Amy MacDonald, Laura Whitmore, Kelly Rowland and David Guetta to name but a few, the people of Shawlands are about to get a whole lot more glam I think.

The big question I have for lovely Ainslie is though, can she airbrush out a chin or two and take a good ten years off me? That would be smashing indeed. For more information on this exciting new addition to the Southside of Glasgow just log onto here