Gordon Smith

Gordon first began going to The Friendship Cabin in Fife in August 2021 when he was struggling with depression. He hadn’t spoken a word to anyone for quite some time, and combined with the family issues he was dealing with, he had started to think that life was worthless. Gordon was put in touch with The Friendship Cabin, a community group based in Glenrothes that helps to improve the independence and quality of life of residents.

Gordon says “It was hard work for the first few weeks, and I didn’t think it was for me. I didn’t feel I was fitting in with people and it was a real struggle. But I decided to keep at it. I started getting involved and chatting with people in the group, which was a big change for me."

After a bit of gentle coaxing, Gordon agreed to give it a bash. He struggled initially but soon after joining, he found his mood was lifting and that he was getting his zest for his life back.

"When David Hood (musician) from MICH visited the group, I enjoyed it. It brought back happy childhood memories, and it lifted my spirits. I’m a different person today thanks to the music. I used to play the accordion when I was younger and played the drums in a band, so I can keep a beat. David helped bring me out of myself and I found that being there, singing and dancing to the music has helped me to forget my worries and cope much better. It brought back my confidence and improved my mood. It has changed my life. My mum even comes along to The Friendship Cabin once a week now and enjoys the music too with everyone, was so good for my mental health. It calms me down. From just coming as a member once a week it gradually increased to 4 days a week. I was offered to be involved in the quizzes etc and I slowly increased my confidence further and I am now a Board member. Thanks to The Friendship Cabin and MICH together has changed my life."