Glasgow Caledonian and SAMH extend collaboration
28th April 2026
Glasgow Caledonian University and Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) have re-committed to their long-term partnership, bringing academic knowledge and practice experience together in support of Scotland’s mental health.
Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Mairi Watson and SAMH Chief Executive Billy Watson met at The Nook, the charity’s flagship walk-in mental health hub in Glasgow’s Merchant City, to sign an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), consolidating the University's 15-year association with SAMH.
Under the new agreement, both organisations will explore ways of working that will support the development, delivery, evaluation and sustainability of community mental health hubs, like The Nook.
The MoU also re-confirms commitments to promote the mental health and wellbeing of the university’s students, staff and wider community.
The two partners work together on a series of mutually beneficial academic, research and service-delivery projects, including Time for You, an online wellbeing service operated by SAMH and supported by Glasgow Caledonian students, and a knowledge transfer partnership that will develop a safe and inclusive AI tool to quickly direct visitors on SAMH’s website to the most suitable resources and services to meet their needs.
It is hoped the MoU will lead to further opportunities for SAMH and the University to work more closely.
Glasgow Calendonian Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Mairi Watson said: "I’m delighted to continue our close collaboration with SAMH to support the improvement of the mental health support that’s available to communities, both at GCU and across Scotland. It was great to see the excellent facilities at The Nook on my visit today and their growing impact. I look forward to us building on our successful partnership work in the years ahead, taking forward other new and established projects, as well as our students continuing to benefit from access to valuable work placements and volunteering opportunities.”
Billy Watson, Chief Executive of SAMH, said: "Glasgow Caledonian has been a trusted and reliable partner of SAMH for many years, and we are delighted to be extending our working relationship to build on our positive progress. This comes at a pivotal time for SAMH as we are rolling out The Nook, Scotland’s first national network of walk-in mental health and wellbeing hubs, to ensure that people up and down the country can ask once and get help fast. Our latest agreement with the University will support the development of The Nook network, as well as furthering our collaborative work in areas such as research and workforce development.”
SAMH is Scotland’s national mental health charity, with around 70 community-based services across the country, from supported accommodation and care-at-home services, to suicide prevention training and employability support.
The Nook from SAMH is Scotland’s first national network of walk-in mental health and wellbeing support hubs. The first hub, in Glasgow’s Merchant City, has welcomed 3,000 visitors through its doors since launching in October. The Nook in Aberdeen will open this summer, followed by three more Nooks across Scotland by 2028. Learn more about The Nook.
Glasgow Caledonian University is committed to a culture of positive mental health, which enables students and staff to thrive and achieve their full potential. A range of resources and tailored support is available as part of the University’s commitment to providing a healthy learning and working environment for its community of 1,500 staff and over 22,000 students.
