Fruit Tree Foundation.....More than just a good cause.....

There are things in life that you take for granted, that you look at and say 'oh that's a great idea, love what they're doing' and toddle on with your little life. Then there is the initiative that is The Fruit Tree Foundation.....



Since 2008 the music events of the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival have grown in size and popularity.  In order to build on this success and increase the awareness of The Mental Health Foundation, Scottish Wave of Change and Breathing Space Scotland a number of luminaries of the Scottish Indie and Folk music scene got together to develop a project called 'First Edition'.

At the time I'm sure that those involved;  James Graham (Twilight Sad), Scott Hutchison (Frightened Rabbit), Rod Jones (Idlewild), Jill O’Sullivan (Sparrow and the Workshop), Emma Pollock (The Delgados), Karine Polwart , Jenny Reeve ,  Alasdair Roberts ,  James Yorkston,  didn't realise the impact that their combined creativity would have and not only involve them in organising and appearing in shows but also write an albums worth of material that would be recorded at the Chemikal Underground Chem 10 studio.  The rest as they proverbially say.....is history.

The songs were recorded that following summer and released to raise awareness of The Mental Health Foundation in Scotland and made available exclusively at two gigs in Glasgow and Edinburgh held in October of that year at The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival. Over 500 copies of the album were sold over those two nights. Since then the album has been completely unavailable. 

Now the big news is this years 'Music Like A Vitamin' gig at The HMV Picture House Edinburgh on Thursday 25th October.  It features Withered Hand, Sparrow and the Workshop, Fatherson and The Birthday Suit.  Needless to say there's a few wee surprise guest appearances to look forward to including Marie Collins and Emma Pollock.....OK OK not so much of a surprise now.....

The Fruit Tree Foundation would like to invite you to find out more about what they do by having a look at the websites..... Breathing Space Scotland and Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival where you will find lots of excellent information about mental well-being and accessing of support.

The Fruit Tree Foundation is a constituted group, which currently operates under the auspices of the Mental Health Foundation. 

A steering group leads the project.....

Rod Jones (Musician)

Emma Pollock (Musician)
Isabella Goldie (Head of Mental Health Programmes Scotland, The Mental Health Foundation)
Lee Knifton (Festival Director, Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival)
Pamela Clarke (Festival Manager, Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival)
Virginia Anderson (Volunteer & Charity Consultant)

The gigs, the album and their awareness raising programme would of course never have been possible without the musicians who dedicated their time and energy to writing, recording and performing the initial project – the album 'First Edition'. To create this piece of work, they had the pleasure of working with the aforementioned songwriters.....

James Graham 
Scott Hutchison 
Jill O'Sullivan 
Karine Polwart
Jenny Reeve
Alasdair Roberts
James Yorkston

They would like to thank them very much for their dedication and support during the past year in helping 

us to fulfill the Foundation's first ambitions.

The Fruit Tree Foundation would also like to thank the following organisations for their support.....

A Scottish Wave of Change

Awards for All



Breathing Space



The Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival



The Merchant's House of Glasgow

You'll find links to all of them on their home page.

If you'd like to contact them, please email.....

Pamela Clarke

The Mental Health Foundation
Merchants House
30 George Square
Glasgow
G2 1EG
0141 572 1662

The Mental Health Foundation is a charity registered in Scotland (SCO39714) and a registered company. (No. 2350846)