As part of Action Mental Health’s Go Purple campaign, a number of Northern Ireland’s most recognisable buildings were illuminated purple on the 10 October to recognise World Mental Health Day.

The iconic landmarks went purple after dark in order to raise awareness and help support the campaign to make mental health and wellbeing a priority for all. Buildings included Titanic Belfast, SS Nomadic and Ulster University Magee Campus (pictured).

For too long, the mental health of people in Northern Ireland has been underfunded and undervalued.

Given the impact of the COVID pandemic and the cost of living crisis, it has never been more important to prioritise the mental health of our population. Urgent action is required to address the shortfall in the mental health investment in Northern Ireland and to ensure the vision outlined in the Mental Health Strategy becomes a reality.

Issues for core mental health services are being compounded by the loss of future European funding and funding that is still required for both the Northern Ireland Mental Health Strategy and the Protect Life Suicide Prevention Strategy. In the case of European funding, the current European Social Fund (ESF) programme ends in March 2023. The situation has now reached a “critical cliff edge” as there is no clear idea how the ESF money will be replaced and it is becoming apparent that the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund will not sufficiently fill the funding gap.

As well as the gap in European Funding, new financial pressures due to the Cost of Living Crisis are now  also placing pressures on people’s mental health.

David Babington, Chief Executive of Action Mental health said, “We truly are at a critical juncture in the mental health sector in Northern Ireland and that is why urgent support and action is required now.

“We understand there are many conflicting funding challenges in Northern Ireland at present. We now more than ever need clear leadership and action. Our organisation is calling for a replacement of European Social funds, a fully funded mental health strategy, and The Executive to form to tackle the cost of living crisis. It’s not too late, but time is running out.”

AMH Services celebrate World Mental Health Day

Antrim Service

Antrim New Horizons opened a client art exhibition on Monday 10 October. The exhibition was officially open by Councillor Leah Smyth, the Deputy Mayor of Antrim in Clotworthy House, Antrim. The art exhibition will run to the end of October 2022.  

Downpatrick Service

We were delighted to meet Patrick Brown MLA Alliance Party Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly to the Downpatrick service.

This was a great opportunity to promote the work that we do in the local area.

The New Horizons invited everyone in to sample a range of activities, including swimming at Down leisure centre, walking, creative writing, IT session and planting hanging baskets in the garden centre.

Down Leisure centre turned purple – Big thanks to Newry, Mourne and Down council for sorting this.

North Down & Ards

Clients and Staff from AMH New Horizons North Down & Ards were welcomed to Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing & Leisure Complex to celebrate World Mental Health Day for a tour of the fabulous facilities and an overview by Ards & North Down Council staff on the benefits of exercise, how to become a member of the leisure complex and the opportunities to enjoy the outdoor spaces & coastline managed by the Council.  Everyone enjoyed a Chi Me session at the end of the tour which was extremely relaxing and the first time that many of the clients had visited the leisure complex.  Our thanks to the staff from Ards & North Down Borough Council for supporting AMH on World Mental Health Day.

Later on in the day, Cllr Karen Douglas, Mayor of Ards & North Down joined clients at for a session of Archery, promoting the Five Ways To Wellbeing, keeping active, learning a new skill and connecting with others.

Lisburn Service

Lisburn New Horizons had the pleasure of welcoming Clare, Mark and Joel to the service on Wednesday morning. It was inspirational listening to their stories, they were open and honest, bad days do still exist but they are now better equipped to deal with these through coping strategies developed during their time at New Horizons.

Belfast Service

Our Belfast Service held a coffee morning for staff.

Fundraising

A huge thank you to all who joined us to take part in Go Purple. Pictured below:

Hendersons Foodservice; St Matthews Primary School, Drumsurn; Kilwaughter Lime and Ardmore Advertising.

For World Mental Health Day 2022, help us to make mental health and wellbeing a priority for all.

For too long, the mental health of people in Northern Ireland has been underfunded and undervalued.

A recent report by London School of Economics and Political Science and the Mental Health Foundation calculated that the economic cost of poor mental health in Northern Ireland to be a staggering £3.4 billion annually. However, currently only around £150 million annually is allocated to mental health through the Department of health.

Given the impact of the COVID pandemic and the cost of living crisis, it’s never been more important to prioritise the mental health of our population. Urgent action needs to be taken to address the shortfall in the Mental Health investment in Northern Ireland, to ensure the vision outlined in the Mental Health Strategy becomes a reality.

Issues for core mental health services are being compounded by the loss of European funding. The current European Social Fund (ESF) programme ends in March 2023. The situation has now reached a “critical cliff edge” as there is no clear idea how the ESF money will be replaced. Organisations such as Action Mental Health rely on this funding to provide critical mental health services which offer referral pathways to support the statutory mental health sector.

It has become apparent that the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund will not sufficiently fill the funding gap that will be left for Action Mental health and 21 other disability providers, supporting some of the most vulnerable in our society.

We truly are at a critical juncture, and that’s why on World Mental Health Day, we’re calling for urgent action on these three priorities:

1. Replace ESF funding, now! Protect AMH services for local people. #TimeIsRunningOut

2. Fully fund Northern Ireland’s mental health strategy! #PlugTheGap

3. Form a new Executive and tackle the Cost of Living Crisis. #ProtectMentalHealth

Help us to make mental health and wellbeing a priority for all!

Please help us spread awareness by sharing the social media graphics below.

You can tag us on

• Facebook      @ActionMentalHealth
• Twitter          @amhni
• Instagram     @action_mental_health
• Linkedin         Action Mental Health

Thank you for your continued support.

Right Click and save the images below. Then post to your social media channels with the below copy.

Suggested Post Text:

It’s #WorldMentalHealthDay and right around the world people are acting to ‘make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority.’

We’re calling for urgent action on these three priorities to help make Mental Health a priority in Northern Ireland.

#WMHD22 #MakeItAPriority  #TimeIsRunningOut #PlugTheGap #ProtectMentalHealth

Sector leaders urge for clarity on the future of Disability Employment Services in NI

The uncertain future of disability employment services in Northern Ireland, currently funded through the European Social Fund (ESF) has reached a critical cliff edge, sectors leaders, officials and elected representatives heard during an event in Stormont on Tuesday.

The event, led by the Northern Ireland Union for Supported Employment (NIUSE) heard first hand from service users who have accessed the range of support services currently under threat across the region. The event, sponsored by Kellie Armstrong MLA and Liz Kimmins MLA also heard from key departmental officials and service providers Mencap, Action Mental Health and Elaine Leonard, Chief Executive of Appleby Trust alongside the Equality Commission NI.

The European Social Fund (ESF) provides dedicated funding for projects aimed at improving the employability and employment levels of disabled people who often find it extremely difficult to access mainstream provision and as a result find themselves disadvantaged and further removed from the labour market. In doing so, it aims to help reduce inequalities between communities and regions and providers wider wellbeing and mental health benefits. Northern Ireland currently has the largest disability employment gap in the UK. The current funding provision is due to come to an end in March 2023, with no clear plan as to who or how this gap will be filled.

Norman Sterritt, Chair of NIUSE said,

“Time is running out and we have gathered a number of disability organisations, politicians, officials and other stakeholders together to find a solution to this urgent issue. Given the current challenges with the cost of living crisis, on top of the many health, social and economic inequalities that disabled people already experience, we need to ensure no one is left behind.”

The event also heard a powerful contribution from service user Conor,  who received support through Mencap’s ESF Project. During the event, Conor said,

“Mencap helped me get a job in Primark and they are always on hand to provide guidance and support. I love being a part of the Primark team and the freedom and independence it gives me. When a customer leaves with a smile on their face, it makes my day.”

David Babington, CEO of Action Mental Health said,

“The current European Social Funding runs out at the end of March 2023 and there is no certainty as to how support will continue beyond that. As a cross departmental issue, it is vital that departments work together to identify a long-term sustainable alternative to ESF. It has become clear that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will not sufficiently fill the gap that will be left for the 22 disability providers supporting some of the most vulnerable in our society.

“With no current Disability Strategy or Disability Employment Strategy in place, service providers are already working in an uncertain and difficult environment, made even more precarious by the lack of clarity around future funding for support for these vulnerable people. Over 21% of the working age population in NI has a disability, matching the average rate across the UK and with many of them have experienced challenging times during Covid-19 and now with the ongoing cost of living crisis, clarity is urgently required beyond March 2023”.

He finished; “We appreciate these are difficult times with all kinds of political, financial, cross departmental and governance hurdles but remember this will impact real people and it will be a shameful decision if in 2022 we let down those who are most in need”.

ESF has helped over 76,000 people since 2018 with over 11,000 participants moving into employment and another 11,000 into further education and training. Administered by DfE, the ESF budget is currently £177m for 69 projects of which £60.7m is for 22 disability projects which form a key pillar to the NI Executive’s response to barriers to employment for employees with a disability and mental health recovery services.

The event also heard from the Equality Commission NI’s Roisin Mallon who discussed the potential equality implications across Section 75 groups and the risk to not continuing support for these individuals.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=9FjO0lszXCc%3Ffeature%3Doembed

All the pictures from the event can be found below.

All the pictures from the event can be found below.

Action Mental Health has signed an open letter with 100 other charities, community groups and academics calling for a new Executive to be formed to tackle the cost of living crisis.

The letter is calling for the formation of a new Executive to set a multi-year budget and introduce solutions to help local people who are struggling to meet the growing cost of essentials. Local households of all shapes and sizes are being pummelled by rising costs and urgently need support.

The letter says people are skipping meals, turning off heating and lighting and making their own sanitary products. It warns the situation is likely to worsen heading into the colder, darker months.

These experiences only scratch the surface of what the cost of living crisis is doing to women, men, children, parents, older people, young people, disabled people, unpaid carers, ethnic minorities and many more in every corner of Northern Ireland. The impact that this is having on people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing is severe.

The letter comes after an energy support scheme for people in Northern Ireland was confirmed on Wednesday.

Read the letter here

In September, Action Mental Health’s Promote service held their annual awards ceremony to honour clients who have taken part in a wide-range of courses throughout the year.

Councillor Karen Douglas (Mayor of Ards and North Down), Patsie McManus Day Services Lead for Adult Disability (SEHSST), David Babington (Chief Executive of Action Mental Health), Stephen Gibson (Neighbourhood Officer – PSNI) and family and friends of the clients attended the awards that took place in the Bangor-based service for adults with learning disabilities.

Before the awards commenced those in attendance were treated to a number of performances from clients.  Anika Johnston read a sensory story that she had written titled ‘Once on a Wild and Stormy Night’. The Environment Group demonstrated the Promote Environmental Pledge using Makaton and the Client Representatives explained their role in the service.  The choir also performed Imagine Dragons’ top hit – On Top of the World – using Makaton and some stop-start animation projects, which clients had produced, were premiered.

Every client received a certificate with some other’s receiving prizes voted for by their peers. The top prize of the Outstanding Client of the Year, was scooped up by Darren Courtenay, as voted by the whole Promote staff team.

A full list of awards winners below.

https://www.amh.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/AMH-Promote-Awards-1.pdf

Action Mental Health on the 10^th of September join the annual World Suicide Prevention Day campaign.

This year focuses on the message of ‘Creating Hope Through Action’.

The aim of World Suicide Prevention Day is to raise awareness that suicide is preventable, improve education and spread information about suicide awareness.

For information on support available visit: https://bit.ly/WSPD22AMH

If you or someone you know is in crisis or distress – please reach out for help by clicking on the green button top right of the website and following the links.

People living with pain issues are bring given a vital helping hand through a programme specially designed to help them cope with their condition.

Action Mental Health, funded by the Western Health and Social Care Trust, offer self-management courses for those suffering a wide variety of pain conditions.

The Managing the Challenge (MTC) programme helps people manage their condition, including the pain they routinely suffer, more effectively.

MTC teaches people the skills to enable them to deal with the pain and the associated fatigue, anxiety and stress that often accompanies their condition. The programme offers people helpful techniques to help them move more, relax more easily, set goals, problem solve and improve their ability to talk about their pain to friends, family and healthcare professionals.

AMH’s MTC training is free to anyone over 18, in the Western Health and Social Care Trust area, who has a long term health condition or experiencing ongoing pain and is interested in learning new skills in self- managing their condition or pain.

The programme uses research-based techniques and strategies and has been designed with the help of healthcare professionals from the Trust with a wide range of knowledge and proven experience in providing support to those in pain.

Courses are delivered by experienced, skilled and empathetic trainers, many who have personal experience of long term health conditions.

“The trainer was a ray of sunshine in a dark and stormy day,”

AMH Client

David Tierney, Managing the Challenge trainer based at AMH New Horizons Fermanagh stated: “Learning to manage your condition, or pain significantly improves the quality of people’s lives. Most people with a chronic pain condition see a healthcare professional for as little as five hours per year. Our self-management programme helps you, through evidence informed ways, to support yourself in the remaining 8755 hours a year.

“Perhaps more importantly many others with similar conditions have told us they have benefited greatly from it,” he added. “We are confident that the programme could help sufferers to turn down the volume of their pain so that they live the best life they can in spite of having a pain condition.”

The programme is delivered in six weekly, 2.5 hour sessions in Derry/Londonderry, Enniskillen, Strabane, Omagh, Limavady and other locations across County Fermanagh. These courses provide an opportunity for participants to share their ideas and experience in a friendly and supportive environment.

AMH also deliver a small number of courses remotely via Zoom for those individuals with travel issues or who consider themselves as vulnerable due to their health condition.  

Clients have paid glowing tribute to the staff delivering the programme, as well as its content.

“The trainer was a ray of sunshine in a dark and stormy day,”

“The course was fab. It was great for feeling that you belong and that there are others who suffer the same symptoms.”

MTC Client

It was good to talk to people who are going through the same thing as you are going through.”

For more information contact: MTC Programme Coordinator

c/o AMH New Horizons Fermanagh
7 Cherrymount Road,

Drumcoo,

Enniskillen,

BT74 4GN

E: [email protected]
T: 028 6672 0673