Youth mental health project OUR Generation to return under PEACEPLUS

Action Mental Health is delighted to announce that the OUR Generation Project has been awarded funding under the European Union’s PEACEPLUS Programme.

PEACEPLUS is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and represents a funding partnership between the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Executive.

OUR Generation is a partnership led by Action Mental Health, and the aim of the renewed project will be empowering and investing in our young people.

Bringing together the expertise of nine partner organisations, the project is committed to delivering impactful initiatives under the specific objective of ‘Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing.’

The cross-border partnership consists of: Action Mental Health, Donegal Youth Service, Co-operation Ireland, Youth Action NI, Youth Work Ireland, Playboard NI, Boys & Girls Clubs NI, Include Youth, & Ulster University.

The Project will develop and deliver programmes to increase mental health literacy, enhance emotional resilience, build the leadership skills of children and young people (aged 9-25) and will lead research in mental health and the impact of trauma on our communities.

The partnership builds on the highly successful PEACE IV OUR Generation Project (which ran until September 2023) and will run in education, youth and community settings across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. The Project will contribute to peace and reconciliation through a range of cross-community and cross-border youth mental health and wellbeing models, peace and youth leadership programmes, and programmes which instil confidence in young people to act as agents of change, building peace for future generations.

David Babington, Chief Executive of lead partner Action Mental Health, welcomed the news. He said:

“Action Mental Health is delighted that the OUR Generation Project has been awarded funding under PEACEPLUS. This new funding will enable us to further empower and invest in our young people to develop their mental wellbeing and resilience and to help peacebuilding in our communities. The OUR Generation Project partnership is very well established and has a strong foundation on which to build for the future.”

He added: “We are delighted to be working with our team of partners once again, and on behalf of the project, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to our two new project partners in Boys & Girls Clubs NI, and Include Youth.”

SEUPB CEO Gina McIntyre said: “We are delighted to support the OUR Generation project. Creating a better future for all our young people is one of the core objectives of the PEACEPLUS Programme. This funding will support children and young people to overcome mental health challenges which are one of the longest and most persistent legacies of the conflict.”

A project supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

For further information on PEACEPLUS funding click here.