50 years of support to child mental health research
Published: 29 May 2026
You may have read in a recent edition of Giving to Glasgow Health about the work of Professor Helen Minnis’ on the mental health problems of children and young people. We’ve been looking into the details of the legacy gift which has supported this area for over 50 years.
Mrs Bennet’s gift was a tribute to Professor Fred Stone who was a leading child psychiatrist. Educated at Hillhead High School, he graduated in medicine from the University in 1945. His work covered infant mental health, autism, adoption, juvenile justice and he played a key role in the Kilbrandon Committee whose groundbreaking report led to the establishment of the internationally acclaimed children's hearing system in Scotland. He was awarded the OBE for services to children in 1991.
The gift endowed the Irene Weir Research Fund for Child Psychiatry and fifty years later, the revenue interest generated continues to be valuable and have impact in this key area of research.
Over the years, Irene’s gift has supported research in areas from postoperative pain in teenagers to body image, and has been key in unlocking longer term funding following successful pilot studies.
Helen Minnis is Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Glasgow:
It makes a huge impact to have a fund like this to draw on. For early career scientific and clinical development we can support a PhD student or research assistant to attend training courses or present at a conference and in a crisis it can cover small unforeseen costs in grant funded projects which have less flexibility on use. Having the Weir fund has made an immeasurable difference.”First published: 29 May 2026
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