The organisers of the Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon have recruited 19 ambassadors who will be taking on the challenge of running a marathon for the first time and we get to follow them on their journey!

With less than 16 weeks to go, the Experiment 26.2 Group will be more than race-ready, thanks to an amazing training package, put together by the event’s Official Partners – Stuart Kennedy (Official Marathon Coach), Framar Health (Official Nutrition Partner) and Better (Official Gym Partner).  They’ll receive complimentary Athletics NI and Mary Peters Track memberships, free entry to running events (SPAR Craic 10K, Titanic Quarter 10K and SPAR Omagh Half Marathon) and a goodie bag of products to help support their training from Deep RiverRock, Framar Health, White’s Oats, Linwoods, Tayto, SPAR and more.

All have chosen to run for one of the FIVE Official Charity Partners for the 2019 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon – Belfast Arthroplasty Research Trust (BART), Cancer Focus NI, Stroke Association, Air Ambulance NI and Action Mental Health.

We are delighted that our very own Diarmuid McLaughlin, Skills Coach in AMH New Horizons Antrim is one of the group aiming to complete his first marathon in front of a home crowd and we will be following his progress closely and wish him well in his training! We will be revealing the other ambassadors #TakingActionOnMentalHealth shortly! Watch this space ……

The group met for the first time on Saturday 12^th January to complete an “ice breaker” challenge at The Jungle NI, Moneymore.  They were split into two teams to go head to head in a “Crystal Maze” team building challenge, the first of many mental, physical and endurance tests as they meet and train for their first marathon!

The Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon hopes that you will follow the Experiment 26.2 Group over the coming weeks and help motivate and cheer them on.  You can follow their progress online at www.belfastcitymarathon.com/training-blogs and on the event social media sites Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Maybe it will motivate YOU to take on your first running challenge and join them on Sunday 5^th May for either the Marathon Run & Wheelchair Race, Marathon Team Relay, 8 Mile Walk or Fun Run. 

SIGN UP for the 38^th Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon now at www.belfastcitymarathon.com via the brand new MyTicket App.  #ChooseBelfast

The Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon is sponsored by Athletics Northern Ireland, Daily Mirror, Belfast City Council, Better, Translink, Daily Mirror, Spar, Belfast Live and Framar Health. Sampling partners are Deep RiverRock, Tayto, White’s Oats and Linwoods.  This year’s official charities are Belfast Arthroplasty Research Trust (BART); Cancer Focus NI; Stroke Association; Air Ambulance NI and Action Mental Health. 

The Chief Executive of Action Mental Health has said that support for mental health services across Northern Ireland are in a downward spiral. David Babington was speaking after Professor Roy McClelland described the crisis at Muckamore Hospital as the “the tip of the iceberg” and that the system was failing patients at the hospital. 

David Babington said “The serious issues Professor McClelland raises about the state of mental health services in Northern Ireland have been building for some time. Just last month I was part of the delegation from the mental health sector to present to the NI Affairs Committee in Westminster. Our message was very clear – Northern Ireland has the highest incidence of mental health problems in the UK, and the lowest level of spending on mental health services. Fundamentally that is unsustainable. 

“The share of health spending which is invested specifically on mental health services in Northern Ireland is 6%. In England that percentage is almost 12% yet our incidence of mental health problems is 25% higher. We have the highest suicide rate in the UK and the highest rates of medical prescription. We also have increased instances of mental ill health in children. How can we deal with the problem of mental health if we are not prepared to properly fund the services? If we don’t break that cycle it is self evident that the problems will continue to mount and that mental health provision will continue to be the forgotten service in our NHS locally.

“Mental health spending in Northern Ireland is in a downward spiral. When small amounts of additional money are provided they are used to fill the gaps. To deliver first class mental health services which can provide the support that so many people need and can deal with the severity of the issues Professor McClelland has raised, we need a genuine investment in the service, and ongoing support for the services, all delivered through an overarching mental health strategy for Northern Ireland.”

Action Mental Health is delighted to announce its latest corporate partnership of 2019, with Podium 4 Sport.

The sports and fitness equipment retailer, based in Castlereagh, offers a range of sportswear for a vast array sporting requirements, from amateurs to  professionals and teams of all ages across a diverse field of sport.

The retail business selected Action Mental Health as its charity partner for 2019 and as the beneficiary of fundraising efforts over the period.

Action Mental Health is grateful to work with Podium 4 Sport, recognising that sport, like any physical activity, plays a huge role in keeping our minds healthy, as well as our bodies.

By actively supporting Action Mental Health, the company joins the diverse range of corporate partners which work to help eliminate the stigma still associated with mental health issues.

Action Mental Health Fundraising and Communications Manager Jonathan Smyth announced the partnership, stating: “Receiving the support of the corporate community, like that offered by Podium 4 Sport, helps to ensure the future of our programmes with children and young people which are becoming increasingly sought-after throughout Northern Ireland.

“Sports play an important role in helping to promote better mental health and well-being, reducing stress and clearing the mind. We are very grateful to have Podium 4 Sport on board as one of our corporate partners as we work tirelessly with both adults and young people across Northern Ireland to raise awareness and provide support through a wide range of dedicated recovery and resilience programmes.”

Craig Allen from Podium 4 Sport commented “It is our pleasure to be supporting Action Mental Health for 2019. The link between mental health and sport is longstanding and we would like to help build on that foundation.”

A hairdresser from Larne who understands the challenges facing people with mental ill-health, is offering a new service to people in their own homes. Toni Campbell, who has experienced anxiety and depression, will visit the homes of people who suffer similar issues, and who have a fear of, or are unable to leave their homes to visit a salon. Toni offers a cut and blowdry for just £15 and will be extending her services in the future. For now, she charges a small fee to cover travel costs.

Toni explains: “I really want to help people with genuine mental health issues, like I’ve suffered in the past so if that’s you, contact me.” 

She plans to open up a salon in the future, complete with a sensitively bedecked interior to create a calming and relaxed environment for her target customers.

“I’ll be offering a one-to-one service so there’ll be no crowds for people who want to fight their anxiety and get out,” she adds.

For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/Hairforyoularne/

We’re halfway through Dry January and if your resolve is starting to waiver, take heart: there’s just over two weeks to go! If your willpower is slipping, maybe it’s time to remind yourself of the reasons you attempted an abstemious start to 2019 in the first place. For many, it was perhaps part of your traditional new year resolutions, not only to detox from the excesses of the festive period, but also to kick off the new year with a healthy start.

Whatever the reason, just remember that shunning alcohol for brief periods is not only good for your body but also for your mental health. 

With the stresses of the fast-paced world of today often being the catalyst to us reaching for the odd drink or two, it is good to know the evidence behind warnings to be careful about your regular alcohol consumption.

Dr Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, in his forward to its report, Cheers? Understanding the relationship between alcohol and mental health, written by Dr Deborah Cornah, states: “The reasons we drink and the consequences of excessive drinking are intimately linked with our mental health, and this holds the key to dealing with growing worries about alcohol misuse.”

We drink alcohol for many reasons: to help us relax after a busy and stressful day at work, to give us ‘Dutch’ courage, to seal business deals and to toast life’s milestones and many, many more.

But it becomes detrimental to both our physical and mental health when we drink because we ‘need’ it, to numb ourselves from feeling unwelcome emotions and often because we can’t remember life without it.

Some 38% of men and 16% of women are now drinking above recommended limits and 1.1m people nationally are alcohol dependent, with the report finding that people often drink to alter their mood – or change their mental state.  And according to the World Health Organisation we are dicing with danger.

 “Sufficient evidence now exists to assume alcohol’s contributory role in depression,” according to the WHO’s Global Status on Alcohol report on alcohol, 2004.

The Mental Health Foundation refers to recent studies which have found that up to 12m adults in the UK drink to help them relax or overcome feelings of depression. However, drinking to mask anxiety, depressed mood or general unease has the opposite effect, once the drink wears off. This is why a physical hangover is very often accompanied by anxiety or low mood.

Evidence shows:

• significant connections between reported alcohol use and depressive symptoms
• people report using alcohol to help them sleep
• people drink more when experiencing moderate to high levels of shyness or fear
• anxious people use drinking ‘to cope’ and are more likely to avoid social situations where alcohol is not available
• as many as 65% of suicides have been linked to excessive drinking
• 70% of men who take their own lives have drunk alcohol before doing so
• almost a third of suicides amongst young people occur while the person is intoxicated
• anxiety and depressive symptoms are more common in heavy drinkers
• heavy drinking is more common in those with anxiety and depression
• there is a significant relationship between job stress and alcohol consumption
• many GPs believe that alcohol is a cause of mental health problems.

Read more on the Mental Health Foundation’s relationship between alcohol and mental health here:

For assistance in overcoming alcohol abuse contact:

When Francis Tumelty first donned his running shoes he could barely run a mile. But these days the Finance Manager of Action Mental Health has so finely tuned his endurance he can run a marathon in under three hours.

With four marathons under his belt so far, including Belfast, Dublin, London and Edinburgh, Francis (48) is leading the charge for the Deep River Rock 2019 BCM relay race, challenging fellow workmates among AMH’s Services to form teams for a bit of friendly rivalry within the charity.

He has a bit of a head start on most of his AMH colleagues – three times Francis has reached the finish line in under three hours – twice in 2hrs 59 and most recently in Dublin when he shot home in just 2hrs 58.

Squaring the quartet of marathon efforts, a few months ago in Edinburgh, an injury and bad chest infection thwarted a similarly eye-watering time. At that time he could only achieve… wait for it – 3hrs 12 minutes!

With such fast times it seems Francis was born to run, but he recalls that first time when one mile nearly brought him to his knees. As a member of his children’s schools Parent Teacher Association, he signed up for a 10K fundraiser and he couldn’t back out, even though he had to pull up after his first training mile, breathless, with aching legs.

The father of three found that though he played football previously, being running fit was a whole new ball game.

“I was 35 and I’d joined the PTA at our kids’ school and we were doing a 10K fundraiser.  I went out myself and ran a mile but I had to stop. I thought to myself ‘I can’t do this’. But I couldn’t give up, as it was for the school.”

He didn’t give up, and was soon attempting greater distances, finding that if he broke the distance down into small, achievable chunks, he could overcome them.

Soon he was totally hooked on the running bug.

“Nowadays I’ll be out six times a week, with a group of six of us from our club, Newcastle AC led by Coach KipHiggins, and there’s so much craic that the next thing we know, we’ve run up to 22 miles.”

Luckily, he hasn’t left a running widow at home.

“My wife Carmel runs too so it’s a family thing and she has run the marathons with me.”

Looking forward to 2019 Francis is now leading the charge for fellow AMH colleagues to join him for the relay.

“It’ll be a really good team event and I’m hoping we’ll get as many teams together for a bit of friendly competition.”

Whether you run, walk or wheel your way to the finish line in aid of AMH, you’ll be raising funds for a great local charity.  We are one of five charities chosen this year to partner with Deep River Rock Belfast City Marathon 2019.

Run for Action Mental Health

You’ll also be helping to smash the enduring stigma of mental ill-health and shine a light on our marathon motto #BehindTheMilesandSmiles.

#BehindTheMilesandSmiles reminds us of the scientifically-proven mental health benefits of chocking up the miles through physical activity. And it also prompts us to acknowledge that not everyone’s smile is genuine – it can be a mask that hides the sadness of anxiety, depression or another mental illness. People like Robin Williams, Ruby Wax and Stephen Fry are known for spreading the laughter but they all admitted to hiding behind a mask, fighting personal battles with depression.

Sign up to run for Action Mental Health

#BehindTheMilesandSmiles

By fundraising for Action Mental Health you will be helping to make a real difference, helping us to support thousands of people, of all ages, right across Northern Ireland.

• £100 could help provide learning materials to support 100 young people through resilience awareness training.
• £300 could pay for a specialist mental health promotion session for up to 30 young people.
• £500 could help provide personal development sessions for adults recovering from mental ill health, helping them develop strategies to cope with stress and anxiety.
• £1000 could pay for a mental health resilience programme for a local primary school class and their teachers.

Don’t want to run?

Running not your thing? Don’t fancy an 8 mile walk? Why not join one of our cheer stations on 5 May! We’ll get you kitted out in Action Mental Health purple so you can cheer our runners on.

Action Mental Health has called for a commitment that mental health services here will receive their fair share of the extra £4bn in funding pledged to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as a result of Prime Minister Theresa May’s latest £20Bn investment package for NHS England.

The long term plan for England, unveiled this week, pledged to bolster funding for key areas, including GPs, community care and mental health. But Chief Executive David Babington has responded by asking if Northern Ireland’s beleaguered mental health sector would receive its fair share.

“We obviously welcome these additional funds for Northern Ireland, however we need clarity and assurances on where this money will go. It’s not clear that money received in past years through the Barnett consequential has actually made its way to mental health services – more than ever we need commitment and transparency now.”

NHS England has said its extra cash boost will go towards investment in mental health support in schools and 24-hour access to mental health crisis care, among other areas, however, the fate of Northern Ireland’s share remains uncertain.  

“If Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are to receive an additional £4Bn, where will it be spent in Northern Ireland? We need a commitment that funds are ring-fenced for mental health services.”

Mr Babington commented: “For too long, mental health has been the Cinderella service in Northern Ireland and the share of the health budget allocated to mental health has been steadily declining at a time of growing need. We would need at least an additional £130m each year for our mental services just to achieve parity with England. We need urgent action to reverse this trend.”

“Two years ago Stormont closed for business and Northern Ireland continues to suffer substantially more than the rest of the United Kingdom in terms of mental health issues – including our young people. We deserve leadership to ensure this new funding goes to the appropriate mental health services, to enable us to safeguard our future generations.”

Ends

 To find out more information on Action Mental Health and the services it offers, please visit www.amh.org.uk.

Action Mental Health is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014 – 2020 and the Department for the Economy.