Macdonald training

Our Mission

At Macdonald Training, our mission is to provide exceptional training services that empowers individuals, employers and organisations to create safer cultures without stigma and with the skills to raise awareness, spot the signs of poor mental health and intervene effectively before someone reaches the point of crisis.
We started delivering Scotland’s “gold standard” mental health first aid training and suicide prevention courses to help grow the network of people in communities who want to learn these skills and gain the confidence to change and save lives.

Gary Macdonald - Company Director and Trainer

Hello I am Gary Macdonald the company director of Macdonald Training. I have also worked for the Civil Service where my roles became directly linked to mental health as a community partner for mental health and then as the Health and Wellbeing Lead for DWP in Scotland. I have also worked for the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) as part of the distress brief intervention team.

My lived experience of poor mental health began after the loss of my mum to cancer over 30 years ago. Back then there wasn’t the support there is now to help mental wellbeing after a bereavement and men weren’t encouraged to talk about how they felt. I can say now I struggled for over two decades with depression but tried to mask it on a daily basis which was exhausting.

With the support of my wife I eventually went to the doctor, got help and started on a road to recovery.

I then became aware of See Me, Scotlands leading mental health organisation who were looking for volunteer community champions. This set me on a course of action focusing on improving mental health support at work, becoming a mental health first aider and an ASIST & Safe TALK caregiver which led to then being selected to become a qualified trainer. Then my journey took a different direction after the tragic loss of my cousin to suicide. Realising that there was a need for a support group in Glasgow that would provides a safe place for men to talk about their challenges and be listened to,I co founded MindtheMen and continue to facilitate group meetings to this day. I am very proud of all the people we have helped train and know that the impact they will have made in their communities will have changed and I’m sure saved lives.

Associate Trainer Eddie Martin

A Director, senior freelance mental health trainer for Mind-Fitt mental health training Ltd. I specialise in delivering a full suite of mental health training. I am an accredited mental health trainer for Public Health Scotland. Courses I deliver include Public Health Scotland skilled level Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid (SMHFA) Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). I am the first Mental Health Ambassador appointed to a professional football team in Scotland. Part of my remit is improving the mental health and well-being of our fanbase and local community.

Associate Trainer Charlotte Jones

Hi, I'm Charlotte the Suicide Prevention Lead in the Scottish Borders. In the Borders my role involves building capacity for suicide prevention through workforce development and supporting community development as well as working with key partners and stakeholders to achieve the outcomes set out in our local Mental Health Improvement and Suicide Prevention Action Plan, Creating Hope in the Scottish Borders. I am experienced in delivering a wide range of training including Self Harm and Suicide Prevention for Children and Young People and Be Suicide ALERT sessions as well as being an accredited ASIST trainer.

Associate Trainer - Norma Lang

I’m a full time trainer in a Scottish local authority with experience of delivering a range of mental health courses to staff and third sector partners, including safeTALK, ASIST, SMHFA and Ask Tell.

I also have over 10 years’ experience working in the community supporting a range of community organisations to tackle issues important to them including both physical and mental health issues.