The global spotlight shines on suicide prevention throughout the world this October as World Mental Health Day (WMHD) events take place abroad and at home to champion greater mental health awareness and emotionally resilient societies.

Here in Northern Ireland, where one in five adults in Northern Ireland will show signs of a mental illness – a rate 25% higher than in England – Action Mental Health works tirelessly to help clients stem the personal impact of their mental ill-health.

Action Mental Health kicks off the annual WMHD with its trademark sporting event, the Granite Challenge when cyclists raise funds for the charity’s Men’s Shed based at New Horizons Downpatrick.

As part of the global efforts, clients of Action Mental Health will be busy participating in a variety of events – and will ‘Go Purple’ – to help in the charity-wide efforts to raise awareness of mental health issues while fundraising to support its vital services. People can select a day that suits between Monday, October 7 and Sunday 13 and get inspired through Action Mental Health’s free fundraising pack, available by registering on their website – amh.org.uk.

A number of civic buildings will also be illuminated in purple across Northern Ireland and as they do, Action Mental Health is encouraging the public to also GO Purple for World Mental Health Day. People can invite their colleagues, friends and families to sponsor them to wear purple, host purple tea parties or rack up purple miles through any physical means to raise money for Action Mental Health.  

Art as a therapeutic pastime is one of the core activities at AMH New Horizons and will feature largely on the WMHD calendar. Clients at Antrim New Horizons will present their ‘Art of Recovery’ exhibition at Clotworthy House, Antrim from October 1 to 27, while in Newtownards, artist Brian Kielt presents his one man show ‘Bardo: An Unknown Country’ at the Georgian Gallery, Ards Art Centre, in aid of Action Mental Health, running from October 3 to 26.

At AMH New Horizons Derriaghy clients will unveil their special animation which depicts their journeys from mental ill-health to recovery, at the Bridge Community Centre, Railway Street Lisburn, on Monday, October 7 at 11am. Clients at New HorizonsAntrim will exhibit their artistic talents at Mossley Mill on October 8 in Newtownabbey.

New Horizon Antrim clients will get the chance to experiment with Laughter Yoga – said to help combat depression and anxiety – with Nuala McKeever of North Star Health & Well-being Centre.

The Antrim service will also play host to a visit by the Gathering Drum, a drumming circle which aims to encourage clients to experiment with the rhythms of the percussion instrument.

At New Horizons Downpatrick, staff and clients will be hosting a Mental Health Promotion Fair to feature creative writing and story-telling, hand massages, a mindfulness taster and music as well as a taster session with Elite Fitness, complemented by the attendance of a  physiotherapist.

WMHD also is the theme for the annual Big Breakfast at Newry’s Canal Court Hotel which will bring together local council representatives and businesses, including Autoline, Danske, Haldane Fisher, Murdock Group and Saica Pack.

New Horizons Craigavon and Banbridge will host an open day on WMHD while up in the northwest at New Horizons Foyle clients will be presented with certificates following a host of courses they’ve been working towards.

Action Mental Health Chief Executive David Babington is encouraging everyone to Go Purple to help the charity support people experiencing mental ill-health and to help build resilience and promote well-being among the younger generation.

“We hope everyone will consider participating in World Mental Health Day in some capacity. There are so many ways to fundraise for Action Mental Health and you’re only limited by your imagination.  All you have to do is get in touch and we’ll send you a fundraising pack.

“We’re delighted to know that lots of individuals and groups, including numerous schools and community groups as well as many of our dedicated corporate partners, are already signed up to Go Purple, this October.

“In a society like Northern Ireland which experiences greater incidence of suicide than the rest of the United Kingdom, we do our utmost to support people with mental ill-health, and to provide emotional well-being and resilience building services to the our future generations.”

Action Mental Health as once again teamed up with White’s Oats to offer samples of their tasty porridge to participants on the day. 

Danielle Mc Bride, Brand Manager of White’s Oats commented: ‘’The 10^th October is World Mental Health Day and World Porridge Day, and with the synergies between the two being so strong it’s fitting that both should share the same date in the calendar year.

“A healthy lifestyle can deliver many great benefits, not least the physical and mental benefits, with increasing research showing that a healthy diet can support a healthy mind and this starts with the food we eat’’.

This year, White’s Oats is offering participants the chance to win a year’s supply of their tasty product to the cycling team with the most entries.

AMH New Horizons’ ‘Working it Out’ project – the focal point of the charity’s recovery services in which clients participate – is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.

Learn more about Going Purple for WMHD by clicking the link: https://www.amh.org.uk/events/go-purple-for-world-mental-health-day/

Clients taking part in the ESF “Working It Out” project at AMH New Horizons Fermanagh, enjoyed a unique opportunity to get creative in the ornamental walled garden at Florenscourt House, one of the most beautiful Georgian houses in Ulster.

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With the support of Freddy, our helpful National Trust volunteer, clients built a bug hotel, having first foraged for twigs, nuts and cones along the beautiful woodland walks and trails on the Estate.

The Bug Hotel, which is situated in our New Horizons Serenity garden, officially opened on Friday 27^th September, and is expected to reach full guest occupancy over the Autumn!

AMH New Horizons’ ‘Working it Out” project is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.

Runners of all ages and from all over Northern Ireland kept on running despite repeated downpours, all in the name of supporting Action Mental Health’s vital recovery and resilience-building services.

Team Action Mental Health showed its true mettle on Sunday, braving rain and even thunderstorms to complete this year’s Deep RiverRock Belfast City Half-Marathon.

Over 90 members of the public and staff of AMH created a purple haze during the race, in which the charity was one of five chosen charities to benefit from the popular annual event.

AMH Fundraising and Engagement Coordinator, Alex Murdock, led the charge on Sunday, taking part in the Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon’s Challenge 13.1 initiative. Challenge 13.1 drew one participant from each of the five designated marathon charities and each was mentored throughout their training, receiving tips and advice on the best way of tackling the miles.

AMH Finance Manager Francis Tumelty, who was part of Team AMH Relay in the full marathon in May, returned to the road again, putting in a decent time not too far off his personal best.

Other runners who signed up to run and raise money for Action Mental Health did so for a variety of reasons, with many of them having had personal experience of mental ill-health or a family member affected by mental illness.

A number of runners came by the AMH marquee prior to the race for photographs and to share in the buzz, with many returning again following the event – soaking but in good spirits.

Well done to all of you who took part and from all of us here at AMH – a huge thank you!

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Students from Arlington Virginia have been treated to a tour of New Horizons Foyle during a worldwide focus on suicide prevention.

The young people from the American institution were welcomed to the service by the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Michaela Boyle.

The delegation was in Derry Londonderry attending the Suicide Conference and wanted to visit New Horizons to see it in action, the model of which they told Service Manager Pauline Flanagan they were unfamiliar with, at home.

AMH New Horizons’ and its ‘Working it Out” project, which is undertaking by clients, is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.

AMH chief executive David Babington chatted with students during the tour of the service, which took place as part of their trip to Northern Ireland to participate in the 30^th World Congress of the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

The conference got under way in Derry on Tuesday bringing together more than 800 delegates including leading international experts on suicide prevention.

The AMH New Horizons activities the client participates in are operated through the “Working it Out” project, which is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.

Action Mental Health Chief Executive David Babington has addressed UK audiences on Northern Ireland’s ‘stubbornly high’ suicide rate BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours Programme.

Mr Babington contributed to the show, presented by Winifred Robinson, following a taped interview with Belfast mum Patricia Ferrin who shared her tragic plight of losing her three sons to suicide.

Describing Northern Ireland’s suicide rate as ‘stubbornly high’ Mr Babington referred to figures for last year which resulted in the deaths of 4.5 more people compared to road deaths.

Echoing Mrs Ferrin’s call for greater resources he told the programme: “It’s about resources and collective leadership to prioritise it in among everything else in the health sector.

“We get half the funding for mental health services in Northern Ireland as happens in England so it’s only about 6 or 7 per cent of the budget were as it’s 12 per cent in England so immediately there’s a massive disparity there,” he said.

Calling for parity between physical and mental health, Mr Babington said referred to a new Department of Health initiative unveiled on World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10  – aimed at cutting suicide rates by 10% in five years.

Offering a measured welcome to the new Protect Life 2 Strategy Mr Babington said resources fall short of its aims.

“It’s great to see now we have out there but we would give a very measured welcome to it because at the end of the day, in terms of resources, we just do not see it.”

He added: “Over 70% of those who die by suicide do not have contact with mental health services so they are out there in the community; maybe it’s an impulsive act or it’s just they don’t know where to go.

Referring to AMH’s resilience-building programmes for children and young people, including Healthy Me for primary school children, Mr Babington continued: “It’s getting out there in the community, so that’s in schools and with young people in the workplace – that’s where the majority of these issues are starting.

“We need to be proactive rather than reactive and so that’s where we believe we can really make a difference, working with our statutory colleagues in delivering that.”

Hear the full interview on   @BBCRadio4#YouandYourshttp://ow.ly/Jc8V50wbnAY from 36.20 to 38.55 and read more about AMH’s resilience building initatives: https://www.amh.org.uk/services/menssana/

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A Co Derry artist has given clients at Action Mental Health a sneak preview of a new solo exhibition which coincides with World Mental Health Day events being held throughout the charity.

Brian Kielt, who has captured life, often through a refracted lens and rich in metaphor, lore and legend, brings his collection, ‘Bardo: An Unknown Country’ to the Ards Arts Centre in October.

The one-man exhibition will premiere at the Centre’s Georgian Gallery from October 3 to 26, with proceeds from the exhibition going to Action Mental Health’s New Horizons North Down and Ards.

Keilt’s theme of Bardo comes from the same Tibetan word which translates as ‘between two’, reflecting Buddhism’s belief in the journey the soul takes between death and the ultimate goal – rebirth and peace.

The theme, in many ways, charts Kielt’s own personal ‘struggle with mental health issues for the best part of 15 years’, with art, he contends, representing a focus by which he strives toward personal peace and aims to ‘make sense of the world’.

The event follows a lifelong dream to be an artist and combines his flair and skill for contemporary expressionism, with the subject matter of his life since childhood.

It translates prosaic settings of his family history, which he turns on its head to create evocative multi-scene images, warranting audiences’ considered inspection, right through to unique interpretations of Greek mythology.

By literally turning images of portraiture, by degrees, such transposition creates dramatic and poignant images which have the viewer guessing its enigmatic subject matter.

Talented and budding artists who attend AMH New Horizons North Down and Ards, got the chance to view some of Kielt’s work, quizzing him on his inspiration, work and subject matter, with many of them now looking forward to attending next month’s event. Clients even got to take part in a workshop led by Kielt, producing innovative, unique and impressive works of their own.

Those who participated undertake AMH New Horizons’ ‘Working it Out” project which is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.

Kielt’s work for the exhibition was sponsored by an iDA grant awarded by the University of Atypical (formerly the Arts and Disability Forum) supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

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The future is bright for hundreds of people who attend Action Mental Health New Horizons thanks to its effective Job Clubs which help people regain the confidence to get back to work.

People who attend AMH’s Job Clubs – at New Horizons’ nine centres across Northern Ireland – may sometimes fear their mental ill-health will rule out future paid employment. Today, however, astute employers recognise that people with a history of mental ill-health can make a valuable contribution to their workplace. They are helping to consign to the past the assumption that mental illness precludes paid work.

New Horizons Job Clubs are supportive places were specialist employment officers provide one-to-one advice and guidance who are applying for work. They help clients update their CVs, take them through interview preparation and techniques and help take those unfamiliar with online applications through the whole digital process.

AMH collaborates with organisations like the Northern Ireland Union of Supported Employment (NIUSE) and other bodies in the voluntary sector to identify opportunities for people with disabilities who can act as the conduit between clients and potential employment.

One of the leaders at the Job Club at New Horizons North Down & Ards, Katrina McIlmail, AMH Employment Officer, explained: “This is all delivered in an informal setting and we work closely with clients to help them gain new skills, either through work-based training, work placement or through volunteering.”

 “We arrange employability visits to help clients experience the wide range of jobs that are available within their industry of choice and how best they can use their qualifications once achieved.”

The Job Clubs complement the accredited qualifications delivered at AMH, which include a range of relevant contemporary subjects, including IT, retail and catering.

Recent visits have included delegations of AMH clients interested in the catering industry to one of Belfast’s newest hotels, Titanic Belfast and the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel, Bangor. Clients also received  an insight into what it is like to work for one of the UK’s largest multi-nationals, visiting their local Tesco for employment tips.

But it’s not just employment that the Job Club focuses on – AMH also supports people wishing to get back into education.

“AMH Employment Officers are available to with assist clients with their enrolment into courses at colleges and to help arrange learning support for people with needs such as dyslexia for example. We can also attend the centre of learning with the client prior to the commencement of their course, if they are nervous about their new start.”

Participants of the Job Club undertake AMH New Horizons’ ‘Working it Out” project which is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.

Employers interested in offering employment opportunities can contact Action Mental Health New Horizons North Down and Ards on 028 9182 2410.

CASE STUDY

One client who has progressed through the rungs of AMH’s Job Club is Gary. A very popular face round New Horizons North Down & Ards, he epitomises the benefits the Job Club can bring to clients.

At 47 years old, he is one of the countless clients who have completed an NVQ Retail Skills Level Two qualification during his time with New Horizons.

To fulfil the criteria of the course he worked at Assisi Charity Shop in Newtownards on a work-based training placement. Since achieving his NVQ Gary has continued to volunteer there and is now a much-valued member of the team. He serves customers, sorts stock, labels donations and puts his hand to any other jobs that are needed. 

Gary is also invaluable in helping staff at New Horizons North Down & Ards. He regularly attends information stands, bag packs and events with AMH Employment Officers and other staff, to inform the general public about the fantastic work that the charity does to assist people like him back onto the employment ladder.

As a keen gardener Gary takes part in New Horizons’ weekly gardening club, which is one of the reasons his confidence has soared. Gary, like countless others, has benefitted tremendously from the support he has received at AMH and by attending the weekly Job club, he receives ongoing support from AMH Employment Officers to help him secure a job in the local area. 

“One thing we are sure of is that he will be an absolute asset to any employer,” said Emma-Jayne Begley, Employment Officer. “Previously Gary worked in a service station and has taken part in the annual Job Shadow Day, run by the NIUSE, and he is very employment focused,” she added.

Action Mental Health has issued a ‘reserved and cautious welcome’ to the publication of a long-awaited strategy aimed at cutting Northern Ireland’s spiralling suicide rate.

As estimates put the number of lives lost to suicide as high as five a week in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health has published Protect Life 2 – devised to slash that by ten per cent in five years.

The strategy aims to dispel the myths around suicide and cites early intervention as among the ways to cut  suicide deaths in Northern Ireland – the worst in the UK.

The document contains 10 objectives and 44 actions and focuses largely on tackling the incidence of suicide in deprived areas of Northern Ireland.

AMH Chief Executive, David Babington said he hoped the new Strategy will place greater emphasis on getting support ‘out into the community’, where 70% of all suicides in Northern Ireland take place – outside hospitals and healthcare settings.

“But how do we reach those 70%?,”he asked, and pointed to a partnership in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area, as an effective ‘model’ and way forward. The Southern Area Protect Life Resource Service – a partnership between AMH, Pips Hope and Support (funded by the Public Health Agency) and the Southern Area Protect Life Community Voluntary Forum – has already been piloted in the region for a number of years and has been busy building resilience in the community, from schools to workplaces.

“It raises the issue of mental health at all ages and provides signposting to a number of services from Lifeline to specialist services, like AMH everyBODY eating disorder service. It helps by building resilience early, helping people before they get into crisis.”

“This is a model which can be worked on and with Protect Life Two we would hope that there would be much more emphasis on getting out into the wider community, into schools and into workplaces to help and support people wherever they are,” he added.

“The impact of suicide is just with not the individuals or their families, it’s complete communities. We know already that 70% of suicides take place out in the community, outside the care of hospitals, so we need to make sure there is support in the community, so we will be looking very carefully at the Protect Life 2 Strategy for that.”

Mr Babington expressed concern that despite an “initial ask of £3.5m”, Protect Life 2 heralded only an extra £1.35m toward suicide prevention in Northern Ireland.