A Glenrothes man is on a mission to spread hope in his community by placing inspirational messages along a local bridge.
Tony Chalmers was keen to help people in the Fife town and beyond.
So he and his family embarked on a project to raise awareness of mental health – putting a selection of powerful quotes on the town’s White Bridge.
A short video uploaded to TikTok showcasing the campaign has now gone viral – with more than 76,000 likes and over 1,000 comments.
It has also been shared on Facebook.
Glenrothes man hoping to help people with inspirational words
Tony, who is the commercial manager of Kingdom FM, told The Courier he was not expecting the video to blow up.
The 39-year-old said: “As a family, we like to do things to fundraise and help people in the community.
“We’re big on mental health in my family. My wife is a mental health practitioner.
“We did it as a little family project to give back.
“We wanted to raise awareness and maybe help someone with the situation that they’re in, which is why we’ve put powerful messages on the local bridge.”
Some of the messages include “You’re not alone in this” and “There is light beyond this darkness”.
‘I didn’t expect it to go viral’
Tony said that if the messages help at least one person with their struggle, then the effort will have been worth it.
“If it helps at least one person, then great,” he continued.
“We thought we’d make a video documenting the journey of the project from last weekend to the weekend just there.
“I didn’t expect it to go viral. It’s really blown up and it’s been fantastic.
“It shows how powerful it is.
“Reading all the messages about how it has helped people has made it all worth it.”
Tony has two young daughters, aged five and 16.
“As a father, I have a responsibility to teach my daughters that they can be open and honest around their feelings,” he added.
“I want to bring my youngest daughter up to be compassionate.”
When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
Conversation