Hardies Chartered Surveyors has provided Project Management, Quantity Surveying and Principal Design Services as well as Architectural Services to The Nook – Scotland’s first ever national network of walk-in mental health support hubs.

Hardies incorporated the expertise of sister firm Shepherd Chartered Surveyors in finding the properties, agreeing leases and managing property valuation.

On October 23rd SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health) opened the first of five Nooks in Scotland, the first being in Glasgow, finally giving people experiencing mental health problems a place to ask once and get help fast.

The largest mental health charity initiative in Scotland’s history, The Nook will provide barrier-free access to mental health support. There will be no need to book an appointment, no need for NHS referrals, and no waiting lists.

Hardies has helped transform the first two floors of SAMH HQ in Glasgow’s city centre into the first Nook to make the space welcoming, accessible and inviting for the many thousands of visitors expected.

Douglas Smith, Managing Partner at Hardies, said: “From the minute we met the team at SAMH, it was clear they had a passionate vision of what they were looking to achieve.

We knew we had to be involved by supporting this project with our comprehensive range of services from both firms. With the ambitious programme came incredibly tight timescales, and we are delighted to have been able to deliver The Nook in Glasgow to the timescales the client wished for at the outset.”

Jude Deacons, Senior Programme Manager, SAMH, added: “The best decision we made was going with Hardies and Shepherd.  From day one they’ve been really invested in the ambition behind The Nook: that people can ask once and get help fast with their mental health. 

Having them side by side, they supported us all the way through the different junctures and decision-making moments to make this happen.”

Emma McMillan, Assistant Director, People and Organisational Development, SAMH, said: “We couldn’t have done it without a partner that knew the vision and knew what we are trying to do. Not only did Hardies and Shepherd know the vision, they also brought everyone else along with it.”

Further Nooks are already planned for Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Inverclyde and Lanarkshire, creating a network of free, accessible mental health support hubs across the country. Each Nook will include an extensive outreach programme, helping many thousands more based in surrounding areas.

Deacons said: “I have absolute trust and full guarantees that the pace we’ve been moving at will continue as we head into creating The Nook in Aberdeen and The Nook in Edinburgh.

We will open all five Nooks over the next three years, and we are pleased to be working with Douglas and the team to make these ambitions a reality.”

McMillan said: “Within 18 months we will have opened three Nooks – that shows that we are moving at pace, giving people in Scotland that mental health support so they can ask once and get help really fast.

We wouldn’t have been able to do that without the professional guidance and support of Hardies and Shepherd.”

Hardies and Shepherd remain committed to partnering with SAMH to help bring future Nooks to life across Scotland.