Every spring, Fort William transforms. The population swells with seasonal workers — climbing instructors, white-water guides, hostel kitchen staff, hotel receptionists — drawn by the outdoor tourism economy that makes this corner of the Highlands one of the busiest adventure destinations in the UK. They arrive in their hundreds, work long and irregular hours, and most of them never register with a local GP. Why would they? They might be here for three months. They might be gone by August.

That gap between needing health information and actually being able to access it is exactly what Vibrant Health Advocates - Helix was set up to close. The programme offers flexible drop-in sessions designed around the reality of shift work: no appointment, no registration, no need to prove you’ve been in the area long enough to deserve a slot. You show up, you get information, you leave better equipped to look after yourself.

The sessions cover a wide range of topics — sexual health, mental wellbeing, nutrition, injury prevention, sleep, alcohol and substance awareness — and are staffed by trained health advocates who understand the particular pressures seasonal workers face. These aren’t clinical appointments. They’re conversations, held in accessible community spaces, at times that don’t clash with the early starts and late finishes that define tourism-sector shifts.

“A lot of people we see haven’t spoken to anyone about their health since they left home,” says one of the Helix advocates. “They might have a question they’ve been sitting on for weeks. We give them a space to ask it without jumping through hoops.”

The drop-in model matters because the alternative is often nothing. Seasonal workers are statistically less likely to register with a GP in a temporary location, less likely to attend walk-in services they don’t know how to find, and more likely to let minor health concerns become serious ones through inaction. Helix removes as many of those friction points as possible.

Our drop-in space on Fort William High Street is open three days a week, with early morning and evening slots specifically designed for workers who cannot leave a kitchen or a guiding group mid-shift. Beyond the High Street, we run outreach sessions at employer premises across Lochaber — at hotels, hostels, outdoor activity centres, and guiding companies — bringing the conversation directly to people rather than asking them to come to us.

Since launching, the programme has reached workers from across the hospitality, outdoor activity, and tourism sectors. Many learn about it through word of mouth — a colleague who came, found it useful, and passed the details on. That informal network is itself a sign that the service is filling a real need in the community. We now support more than 540 workers each year, running over 130 sessions annually with 22 partner employers across the region.

If you’re working seasonally in or around Fort William and want to know what Helix offers, no prior contact is needed. Find us, come in, and ask what you need to ask. That’s the whole point.