Health today is best viewed from a holistic perspective – and good health means having a healthy body AND a healthy mind. International Men’s Health Week, from June 10 to 16 – Father’s Day – is reminding men about the importance of maintaining a healthy body and mind.

International Men’s Health Week is celebrated in many European countries, as well as in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and a number of other places worldwide.  The overall aims of Men’s Health Week are to:

• Heighten awareness of preventable health problems for males of all ages
• Support men and boys to engage in healthier lifestyle choices / activities
• Encourage the early detection and treatment of health difficulties in males

Most of us know that by keeping your waistline to below 37 inches you’ll have a fighting chance against illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Equally, we know that everyone  – women included – should be eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day to stay fit and healthy, and that men shouldn’t consume more than 14 units of alcohol a week.

If we know all this, why is there a need for Men’s Health Week? It’s due to the fact that research shows that men experience a disproportionate burden of ill-health and die too young compared to their female counterparts. In fact:

• men die, on average, up to four years younger than women do
• males have higher death rates than women for all of the leading causes of death
• poor lifestyles are responsible for a high proportion of chronic diseases
• late presentation to health services leads to a large number of problems becoming untreatable.

These statistics however, can’t be truly interpreted without looking at the statistics surrounding mental ill-health and suicide.

Northern Ireland in general has high levels of mental illness with some 39% of us suffering one form of mental illness in our lifetime. The levels of mental ill health here is greater than any other region in the UK and at least 25% higher than in England.

Suicide rates here are also high with 2015 seeing the highest number of people taking their own lives since records began in 1970s – of these 77% were male.

So what are Action Mental Health doing ….

We are continuing to call for a Mental Health Champion and a Mental Health Strategy in Northern Ireland.

We are working with Ulster University and Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody to repeat our call for action in an event in Parliament Buildings on 21 June 2019,  (for more details contact [email protected]).

We promote the five ways to well-being:

We advise everyone to talk about how they are feeling.

Talk to your family and friends, talk to your GP.  Lifeline is also available.  It’s Northern Ireland’s crisis response helpline service for people who are experiencing distress or despair. People living in Northern Ireland can call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000.

We operate 3 Men’s Sheds –

Steeple Antrim, Downpatrick and Fermanagh. Men’s shed is a project for men aged 50+ to share skills, socialise and connect with their wider community. Men’s Shed brings together men to share their skills, have a laugh and a cup of tea while working on practical activities of their choice.

It’s place for members to be themselves, a place to work at your own pace, a place to exchange ideas and learn, a place for members to support each other and build friendships.

Our Men’s Shed in Downpatrick is marking Men’s Health Week by exhibiting an array of their art, crafts and woodwork at the St. Patrick’s Centre, Downpatrick until June 15. To find out more contact Lisa, at [email protected]

#menshealthweek #menshealthbynumbers

 

The evenings are brighter, longer and the birds are chirping as the sun delays its nightly dip back behind the horizon – spring is here. The season allows us more time to enjoy the outdoors and to take full advantage of its soothing benefits to our bodies and minds – and particularly our mental health and well-being.

May has been National Walking Month so if you haven’t been for a wee dander lately, why not head out today, tomorrow or as soon as you can – and continue the good habit into the summer?

You could even grab a few like-minded colleagues at work and head out at lunchtime. Better yet, why not take the opportunity to encourage others less inclined to join you to find out why walking – especially briskly – is so good for keeping fit, and even better for your emotional and mental health.

Walking boosts the levels of chemicals in your body called endorphins and serotonin, which not only reduce pain, but also improve your mood. Like any activity, walking improves self-perception and self-esteem – even the quality of your sleep.

One client of Action Mental Health who has been experiencing the benefits of walking with her local AMH group, said walking, especially with a friend:

         helps to clear your head

         offers an enjoyable social aspect, having a bit of chat and a laugh

         offers an exercise that’s not too strenuous

         makes you feel good

So if you’ve taken up the habit of walking this month, Action Mental Health is hosting a few events in the coming weeks to let you join others with the walking bug – while also raising money for the charity.

This weekend, walkers are heading out on the Cave Hill Dawn Walk to traverse the picturesque peak over the city of Belfast and beyond. For more information and to sign up visit:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cave-hill-dawn-walk-2019-tickets-59230060706?fbclid=IwAR0S1TUlNkJSYhYaWfW3NZvaqQ30r2BBTAtHYRflok_aWCtzPINWnOo3gzg

In County Down, walkers can don their boots to experience the new stretch of picture-postcard Carlingford Lough Greenway, to walk the Dublin Road Bridge to Victoria Lock – a 5.7km walk, which is again being hosted to raise funds for Action Mental Health.

To find out more and to obtain sponsorship forms for the August 4 walk please contact B Hughes at AMH Newry on 028 3026 6117 or contact [email protected].

 

Mental Health Awareness Week 2019 came at a time when the issue of mental health and well-being has never been in sharper focus.

As Prince William opened up about his emotional fragility following the death of his mother Princess Diana, Great British Bake-Off winner Nadiya Hussein allowed the cameras in to capture her battle with anxiety, and former Homeland actor David Harewood revealed a bout of psychosis in his 20s.

These high profile personalities were among headline discussions conveyed by the media over the week, highlighting the prevalence of mental health issues in society. They helped to prove that mental ill health knows no boundaries, whether social, religious, class or ethnicity.

Closer to home Action Mental Health helped steer the public conversation towards mental health issues, fundraising for our services through the second ever Great Big Purple Picnic (GBBP). Local politicians and community representatives descended on Action Mental  Health’s nine services across Northern Ireland to partake of the picnic which, this year, featured barbecues, pet therapy sessions, horticultural sales, yoga, music and a host of festive events.

Action Mental Health also supported a flagship initiative by Queen’s University Belfast to support better well-being among staff and students at the institution. The pinnacle of QUB’s week-long series of events was a panel discussion on mental health matters featuring the personal stories of local people like former GAA star Oisin McConville, who fought a gambling addiction and radio presenter Paulo Ross, who cares for his mother who suffers mental ill-health.

Action Mental Health supported the university’s itinerary which included a pedometer challenge, holistic well-being sessions, workshops, talks on cyberbullying and sleep-improving sessions, lunchtime walks and its very own Great Big Purple Picnic in the university’s historic quad.

Our corporate partners also got behind the week’s events with gusto. Ardent supporter Danske Bank’s Business Development Team walked a collective 500 miles across a number of its branches, raising funds and awareness with every step. Other staff embraced the Great Big Purple Picnic festivities as well as a host of other activities in branches across the country.

Staff members in our partners Allstate were also treading the pavement, raising funds and awareness with their ‘Walk a Mile and Smile’ event, while stands went up at its three branches to inform employees on the best ways towards mental health and well-being. Staff were encouraged to take part in a selfie- competition before a hair-raising zipline event brought the week to a finale.

All 53 branches of Gordons Chemists jumped on board the Mental Health Awareness Week bandwagon, raising awareness among customers through literature and selling wristbands while staff donned purple for the day.

Coca Cola too, participated, letting employees test their aim in an archery competition in a novel way of marking Mental Health Awareness Week.

Meanwhile WW (formerly Weight Watchers) turned purple with al fresco dining at venues across County Antrim, and Farrans Construction staff enjoyed a week of GBBP-related events.

SDC used the week to launch the new partnership between the truck and trailer parts firm and Action Mental Health, when staff got the opportunity to participate in stress tests and avail of the charity’s breadth of knowledge on mental health issues with information stands and awareness raising efforts.

In Warrenpoint & Lisburn, our corporate partner, CTS, got into the spirit by hosting Great Big Purple Picnics for all their staff.

Financial Services Compliance (Fscom) had a purple dress-up day on Friday, a week after launching their new charity partnership with Action Mental Health, while Medicare Osborne Pharmacy on the Lisburn Road also got in the purple spirit.

Cranswick Country Foods in Ballymena held a GBPP  bake sale and have decided to continue their fundraising drive with a sponsored walk within the splendour of Glenariff Park on June 29.

 

Employers across Northern Ireland and Europe opened their workplaces to people with disabilities as part of Job Share Day on Thursday 16 May.  We were delighted that so many Action Mental Health clients were participating in the initiative, in a variety of roles and organisations across the country!

Our ESF “Working it Out” projects provides a comprehensive programme of specialist training in Personal Development, Vocational Skills and Employability, with the aim of helping our clients access employment or further education.  The Job Shadow Day is co-ordinated by the Northern Ireland Union of Supported Employment and is supported by its members.  Job Shadow Day is perfect for our clients as it can provide the perfect opportunity to get firsthand experience of the world of work and to discover and learn about the skills required to compete and succeed in the workplace.

One of own job seekers – Ciara McCormack – had the opportunity to shadow our Chief Executive, David Babington, as he went about his daily duties. The day kicked off meeting representatives from two Colombian cities with other community organisations and Belfast City Council.  The visit is part of an 18 month exchange programme for sustainable urban development. Next it was on to Queen’s University Belfast for the headline event in a week packed with initiatives to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week in partnership with AMH.  David was on a panel of special guests including familiar faces GAA star Oisin McConville, Cool FM’s Paulo Ross and our own AMH everyBODY’s Deborah McCreedy.  The discussion was hosted by BBC’s Tara Mills, Ciara got the opportunity to chat with all the guests and discover what the AMH Fundraising & Communications team get up to behind the scenes.

Here’s what some of our other clients got up to!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The strongmen of Belfast Trojans are facing the might of a band of American footballers for a special community fun day in aid of Action Mental Health.

The local team face the Augustana College Vikings from Illinois on Saturday, May 25 during a day of entertainment for all the family.

Together, the Trojans are a strong band of brothers who enjoy a camaraderie that has taken them to success in their field. But it’s also a network of support that has provided a lifeline to members in their darkest hours.

The club decided to donate the proceeds of the Community Day to Action Mental because of its current focus on mental health issues, under the hashtag #LetEmKnow.

The campaign is being spearheaded by members like former Leeds University Gryphons player Andrew Marks, who lost a friend to suicide following a weekend night out with friends in 2017.

Andrew, 24, and his university rugby team had been with their friend James Burke only days before and said he had been ‘laughing and joking’ with everything. James, a law student who excelled in rugby league, had represented Jamaica in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Following his untimely death James’ mother Sharon set up the James Burke Foundation aimed at promoting better mental support for young people. In the wake of his friend’s death, Andrew  joined forces with the team, his family and community to fundraise for the foundation.

Now back in his native Northern Ireland, Andrew is sharing the message on which the foundation was based and is keen to keep the discussion of mental health matters going among players.

One of those players, John Mahon, only joined the Trojans this year following the death of his mother in January.

At 20 – and following the death of his father when he was just 13 and a pupil at Downe High in Downpatrick – the Ardglass lad felt desolate, alone and lost.

Though he has a supportive family, being the youngest of five siblings, he found that he was only leaving the house for college, to attend his software engineering course at Belfast Met.

But then his brother, a former member of the Trojans, told him to sign up. He followed his big brother’s advice – and it’s provided a much needed lifeline for him.

“There the most supportive bunch of people I’ve ever known,” he said.

Player Danny Tarr agrees. “They’re like a bunch of brothers to me,” he said.

Danny, 28, found comfort in the Trojan family after he was seriously injured in a head-on car crash in Donegal last July which put him out of running for the team’s semi-finals a month later.

Following the crash he developed PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) when he began dreaming of the terrifying collision. His inability to play in the team’s competitive clashes had a detrimental impact on his mental health, but it’s been through the fraternity and brotherhood of his teammates that he is able to focus on a positive recovery.

For further information about the fun day – when you’ll get the chance to ‘crack the safe’ and win £10,000 – or to purchase tickets visit www.trojanscommunityfunday.eventbrite.co.uk

 

Get Creative Festival is an annual campaign to celebrate and support the everyday creativity happening in homes and public spaces. From guerrilla gardening in your street to paint by numbers in your local library, via nail art, yarnbombing and singing in a choir, Get Creative Festival is building actively creative communities that cater for everyone of every age, background and ability.

Get Creative Festival is taking place this week from 11 – 19 May 2019 to celebrate creativity across the UK and Republic of Ireland with a whole range of amazing events!

Ards Arts Centre called out to all creatives in the Borough to share a little of their creative talent with the rest of us. Action Mental Health answered that call!

Pauline Matthew Skills Coach – Creative Crafts in AMH New Horizons North Down and Ards along with some of our artistic clients popped along to share a little of their creative talent! As you can see from the photos all ages enjoyed getting creative!

www.getcreativeuk.com 

 

Action Mental Health has teamed up with Queen’s University Belfast to mark this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week with a full range of activities and programmes dedicated to promoting better mental health across all aspects of the lives of Queen’s staff and students.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2019 takes place this week with a range of events, seminars and workshops taking place across campus at Queen’s University on a range of topics including cyberbullying, the importance of sleep and the role of mental health nurses.

A recent survey by the National Union of Students and Union of Students in Ireland found that 78% of students said they had experienced mental health issues.

In February 2019, Queen’s Students’ Union launched an ambitious new campaign to tackle mental health issues facing students – ‘OMNI’ – under the resounding call to action “all in for mental health”. Queen’s has adopted a new, whole-university approach addressing mental health and well-being for staff and students that will help inform a new institutional three-year (2019-2021) Framework for Mental Health.

Brian Parkes, People and Culture Director, Queen’s University Belfast, said, “At Queen’s, we are committed to creating a compassionate culture that supports and promotes the mental health and wellbeing of all our people and we are delighted to partner with Action Mental Health for Mental health Awareness Week 2019, with a range of events that will bring staff and students together to raise awareness, drive conversations and show their support for better mental health.”

As part of the week’s events at Queen’s, a host of local personalities will lend their profile and voices to a panel to highlight the wide range of issues surrounding mental health and well-being, including former GAA star Oisin McConville, who will discuss his experience with gambling addiction. Cool FM’s Paulo Ross will also give an insight into his experiences while caring for his mother when she developed mental health difficulties.

The panel will also feature BBC Newsline anchor Tara Mills and Radio Ulster commentator Linzi Conway alongside Action Mental Health’s everyBODY service’s Project Worker Deborah McCready, who will focus on one of the themes of Mental Health Awareness Week 2019 – body image – how we think and feel about our bodies.

Mental Health Awareness Week is also the springboard for Action Mental Health’s Great Big Purple Picnic fundraising drive which focuses on ways to improve knowledge of positive mental health and well-being. Queen’s University staff and students will be supporting the effort by hosting their own Great Big Purple Picnic in the university’s iconic Quadrangle on Wednesday, May 15.

The university will also launch its annual Pedometer Challenge with proceeds raised going to Action Mental Health and staff will be invited to enjoy a range of events including holistic therapies, a performance of the university’s staff choir and a guided tour of Botanic Gardens.

Action Mental Health Chief Executive David Babington expressed delight at the collaboration between the charity and Queen’s University.

“It’s gratifying to see such a prestigious institution shining a light on mental health issues and taking the lead to cultivate and promote the mental well-being of their staff and student body.”

 

 

 

Northern Ireland’s leading mental health charity is inviting everyone to join in its annual Northern Ireland-wide picnic event.

Action Mental Health is asking people to host a Great Big Purple Picnic to help mark Mental Health Awareness Week from 13^th to 19^th May and wants schools, businesses, community groups, families and friends to get their picnic hampers out and join in the fundraising fun.

The Great Big Purple Picnic is one of the many initiatives organised by AMH to help raise awareness of positive mental health and also raise vital funds to help support their work across Northern Ireland. Most of all AMH wants you to have a bit of fun while you’re doing it.

In Belfast a Great Big Purple Picnic will be hosted at Queen’s University of Belfast’s quad as part a packed programme to mark the focus on mental health in collaboration with Action Mental Health.

Picnics and other activities are also being hosted in support of AMH by a host of our corporate partners and businesses, including Danske Bank, Gordon’s Chemists, Farrans Construction, Medicare Osborne Pharmacy. In Derry-Londonderry the city’s branch of the Bank of Ireland will also partake of a picnic.

Clients at AMH New Horizons Newry will be enjoying their Great Big Purple Picnic al fresco, tucking into a barbecue at Kilbroney Park, Rostrevor next Wednesday. Meanwhile a number of local businesses including the Employers Forum, Autoline and Newry Building Supplies are set to host their own Great Big Purple Picnics for staff.

AMH New Horizons Foyle is continuing the celebrations into the next week, hosting its Great Big Purple Picnic in Derry city’s Guild Hall Square where people will have the opportunity to ‘Take Five’ – based on the Five Ways to Well-Being, as Service Manager Pauline Flanagan explains: “Pack your lunch and join us outside on our purple canvas; CONNECT and  meet the AMH team; LEARN how we provide mental health support and services; TAKE NOTICE of the opportunities you can avail of; BE ACTIVE and get involved in our impromptu entertainment; GIVE yourself a mindful lunch break support mental health.

Members of WW, formerly Weight Watchers, throughout County Antrim will be hosting picnics, in Glenarm, Larne, Cushendall and Carrickfergus.

The focus for the Great Big Purple Picnic is quite simply about giving people a way to improve their knowledge of positive mental health and also a way to improve their mental well-being.

By hosting your very own Great Big Purple Picnic you and your guests will be actively engaging in the Five Ways to Well-being: connecting with those around you; being active, by choosing one of Northern Ireland’s picturesque settings to host your picnic and combining it was a nice walk; taking notice, by just taking time out to enjoy the moment; keep learning, by thinking of healthy food options for your picnic to help maintain a healthy body for a healthy mind; and by giving the funds you raise to AMH which aims to change the lives of those living with mental ill-health and promote resilience and wellbeing to future generations.

All you have to do is to choose a date, a venue – indoors or outdoors, in the garden, at home, school or work – and then invite your friends to your Great Big Purple Picnic. But don’t forget to think purple: whether it’s purple bunting, purple picnic blankets, purple wigs or purple drinks, it’s up to you!

You can download a fundraising and information pack on www.amh.org.uk or request one by emailing [email protected] or by calling 028 9182 8494.