Anniversary year sees Action Mental Health score a number of firsts during year of flux

It’s been an eventful year here at Action Mental Health, with the charity scoring a number of firsts during its 55^th anniversary year.

It’s been a year of campaigning, of celebrating significant new and existing partnerships, with a wide range of bodies, and a year of pioneering initiatives to promote the resilience of our younger generation’s mental health, alongside a stream of improved and upgraded services. It’s also been a stellar year of fundraising with Action Mental Health also being the first mental health charity to be nominated as one of the official charities of the Belfast City Marathon, offering us an unprecedented fundraising milestone to look forward to in 2019.

On the campaigning front, for the first time in our history, Action Mental Health brought the fight for parity of esteem for mental health in Northern Ireland to Westminster – firing the first salvo in February and following it up again, with a further call for action direct to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, as the year drew to a close in December.

When the collapse of Stormont left Northern Ireland in limbo, Action Mental Health led a delegation of mental health campaigners and practitioners to London to demand improvements to our local mental health services as agreed by the Assembly in 2016. We called for a mental health strategy, a Mental Health Champion, and for clarity on the allocation of the extra £50m for mental health services promised by the DUP/Tory confidence and supply agreement.

Action Mental Health returned to Westminster again in December to hammer home the need for greater funding for the health service’s ‘Cinderella service’ before members of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.

Action Mental Health also launched pioneering new services, from the Northern Area Mental Health Initiative’s Digital Hub to the newly launched eating disorder service AMH Everybody, offering better hope to those who require this specialist assistance.

In April, Action Mental Health was delighted to come together in a new partnership with New Life Counselling, laying the foundations for future growth of each other’s much needed services.

Action Mental Health has also been honoured to work alongside several leading local businesses as their charity partner. Businesses including Danske Bank, Caffe Nero, Phoenix Natural Gas, Titanic Hotel Belfast, Victoria Square, CTS Projects, HMC Global, Automated Intelligence, Gordons Chemists, PowerNI and Fat Face have fundraised and volunteered throughout the year. We are also delighted to be establish new partnerships for 2019 with MKB Law and Coca Cola.

Integral to Action Mental Health are the nine AMH New Horizons services based around Northern Ireland. This year, the work of the charity’s keystone service was featured in a ground-breaking short film, Of My Kin. Illustrating the real life journeys of people whose lives have been turned around by AMH New Horizons, Of My Kin, produced and directed by award-winning local man Joe McStravick, won plaudits at a host of film festivals and serves to show the difference AMH New Horizons makes to our clients.

Action Mental Health couldn’t survive without its statutory funders, prime among them the European Social Fund, which funds the pivotal ‘Working it Out’ Project delivered by our New Horizons services across NI. This year we hosted Inspectors from the Educational Training Inspectorate (ETI) as part of the ESF Audit / Inspection process.

The Inspectors identified numerous examples of positive activity and good practice throughout our AMH New Horizons services. Their inspection reported that the charity demonstrated a “high level of capacity to identify and bring about improvement in the interests of all the participants.”

They also reported that “learners cited numerous examples of how the project has impacted positively on their lives, including development of their self-esteem, confidence, motivation, and socialisation”.

Young people who attend the BOOST service at AMH New Horizons Fermanagh received a brand new dedicated space thanks to the generous fundraising of the local Rotary Club. The space offers 18-25-year-olds experiencing mental health issues, a new kitchen and hang-out room featuring gaming and high-tech equipment.

AMH’s varied services have also been supported by our range of annual events which not only helps keep the spotlight on mental health, but also gets the community involved on both the volunteering and fundraising fronts. Events like the newly launched Great Big Purple Picnic, which took place in spring during Mental Health Awareness Week, the Granite Challenge, and the Go Purple campaign marking World Mental Health Day in autumn were among the highlights. That global celebration of mental health and well-being was this year the focus of another first for Action Mental Health – the inaugural Head First Awards. Awards were conferred on schools, individuals and groups who go that extra mile to support the mental health and well-being of young people across Northern Ireland.

Supporting people with disabilities and health conditions in Northern Ireland and helping them get back into employment, AMH is one of seven partners within the SES – Supported Employment Solutions consortium. As its co-lead, AMH, along with the Cedar Foundation, has continued to effectively lead SES through a very challenging year for the delivery of the Workable (NI) Programme. Demand for places on programme exceeded capacity in 2018, prompting the capping of new start numbers. However, AMH and SES continue to deliver high quality support to over 350 programme participants across Northern Ireland.

The year also marked a raft of milestone anniversaries, including AMH New Horizons Newry which celebrated 30 years helping the local community through their mental health recovery journeys, alongside Foyle and Belfast which each marked their silver anniversaries – 25 years.

Bringing 2018 to a fitting and festive close, the clients at AMH Promote raised the roof with their imaginative and highly entertaining production of Jack and the Beanstalk. The Bangor based centre, which assists adults with learning disabilities, worked very hard to stage the show, with song, impressive theatrics and effervescent cheer and they succeeded on all fronts.

Chief Executive David Babington said

“2018 has seen some tremendous developments here at Action Mental Health and we are confident they will bring great benefits to our clients and the wider population in Northern Ireland. While the mental health sector faces significant challenges, we remain hopeful for the future. As the year draws to a close, we would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a new year that brings positive mental health and well-being to you all.”

Action Mental Health is delighted to announce its latest corporate partnership – with MKB Law. The Belfast-based law firm selected the leading Northern Ireland mental health charity as its charity partner for 2019 to 2020 and the beneficiary of future fundraising efforts over the period.

By actively supporting Action Mental Health, the Belfast-based firm said it aims to help eliminate the stigma still associated with mental health issues and to help ensure both adults and children receive the support they require.

Associate Director, Suzanne Keenan, comments: “Northern Ireland has a 20% higher incidence of mental ill-health than anywhere else in the UK. As a local firm we are determined to do our part in bringing this number down, and are pleased to be working with Action Mental Health in 2019 and 2020.

“Over 250,000 people in Northern Ireland have a mental health problem. That works out as one in five people. MKB Law operate in many areas of law where people are affected by a mental health issue, specifically Family and Employment Law. MKB Law are honoured to be the first law firm to be supporting Action Mental Health through a charity partnership. Our fundraising will kick off with our staff Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 21st December – remember to check out our social media pages for updates!”

Action Mental Health Fundraising and Communications Manager Jonathan Smyth: “We are very grateful to have MKB Law on board as one of our corporate partners. Action Mental Health works 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.

“Receiving the support of the corporate community, like that offered by MKB Law, helps to ensure the future of these programmes which are becoming increasingly sought-after throughout Northern Ireland.”

 

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee has been told that the region has the lowest spend per capita on mental health – with no sign of that position being reversed.

Action Mental Health was among the organisations giving evidence today to the NI Affairs Committee in London, as part of the Committee enquiry into health spending in Northern Ireland.

David Babington, Chief Executive of Action Mental Health told the Committee that Northern Ireland has the ‘highest incidence of mental health problems in the UK, and the lowest level of spending on mental health services.’ He told the Committee that the situation 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.

“In Scotland and Wales spending on mental health is also higher than in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland the Government has committed to an increase in mental health spending of 10%, significantly higher than the amount spent locally. Yet our need for investment in mental health well-being is higher than anywhere else in these islands

“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.

“If we were to match the English spending on mental health our investment would increase by £130m each year, yet our spending is falling rather than increasing.”

Today’s hearing comes almost a year after Action Mental Health traveled to Westminster to meet MPs from across the UK to lobby for additional funding.

“At that time, a meeting with the Secretary of State was promised , one year on we cannot even get a reply to a request for a meeting.”

The members of the NI Affairs Committee heard that the DUP Confidence and Supply money has not made the difference which was heralded at the time of the deal.

“Figures from the Department of Heath show that that money has been spent on meeting existing pressures rather than delivering any new services. The money is not guaranteed on a recurring basis so that does not allow for long term transformation. Rather than providing a boost for mental health provision locally, this money is a sticking plaster.”

“The trajectory of spending on mental health in Northern Ireland is downward. If we are serious about meeting local mental well-being needs that simply has to change.”

You can watch the Committee Hearing here.

Thinking of choosing a local charity to benefit from a donation while wishing your loved ones a very Merry Christmas? Action Mental Health knows that many people like to celebrate the joy of the festive season by sharing with others so this year we have created four beautiful seasonal cards to let you do both.

Just get in touch with our fundraising team 0289182 8494 or [email protected] and we’ll tell you all the ways you can donate and send you the E-card of your choice.

By choosing one of our Christmas cards you can send your family and friends an attractive festive greeting while also helping people reclaim their lives from mental ill-health and ensure the well-being of Northern Ireland’s future generations.

One in five people in Northern Ireland will experience a mental health difficulty in their lifetime so by buying our Christmas cards you’ll be supporting the wide range of services designed for people from primary school to their later years. Options include donations in lieu of either presents or cards.

£30 could pay for learning materials for a school class taking part in resilience awareness training

£100 could help pay for personal development sessions for adults recovering from mental ill health£

£300 could fund specialist mental health promotion sessions for up to 30 young people 

 Action Mental Health is proud to be Northern Ireland’s leading mental health charity, offering services across the region, for young and old alike, offering steps to employment, education,  training – and most of all, hope.

To order cards and donate email [email protected]

Action Mental Health has responded to a new study on the number of schools paying for mental health support for pupils as thousands of children across Northern Ireland report mental health issues. The report (see below) into the study by the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) revealed that 79 schools which took part in the research collectively identified a total of more than 4,000 pupils with emotional health and well-being issues.

As a result many schools are paying for help from their own budgets, as they face long delays in accessing statutory help and intervention.

Amanda Jones, Operations Manager Resilience and Well-being commented: “Action Mental Health understands the challenges faced by parents, carers and teachers in supporting the mental health and well-being of children and young people. AMH deliver a range of programmes for children and young people which support promotion of positive well-being and early identification of mental and emotional health concerns.

“These programmes are designed to address a range of issues faced by children and young people experiencing their own transitions in our ever changing world including stress, body image and self – esteem and they have been shown to be effective in raising awareness, building resilience and increasing help-seeking. Through the support we receive from our funders and donations from the public we are able to deliver theses services across Northern Ireland for children, young people and their key contacts in primary, post primary and community setting. To find out more about our services or book a programme for your group contact us here at Action Mental Health, and while the sessions are delivered free of charge to schools, we rely on donations and fundraising by businesses and the local community to support the deliver of these sessions.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-46379273

 

Healthy Me Flyer

Action Mental Health is delighted to have scooped a trophy in this year’s Leadership and Governance Awards. The awards, organised by the VSB Foundation in partnership with CO3 and Volunteer Now, recognise voluntary organisations’ efforts to improve governance.

AMH won in the large category of the 2018 round, one of three categories, including small and medium-sized third sector organisations. Chief Executive David Babington attributed the win to the dedication of the charity’s Board of Directors.

Nora Smith, CEO, CO3 commented: “The Governance and Leadership Awards have substantially grown in profile.  Now in their 3^rd year this is the perfect platform to recognise and reward leadership and good governance at Board level.  We all know that charity governance makes a huge difference and by sharing examples of truly inspirational boards through these Awards it is fantastic recognition of their leadership, commitment and hard work.

“By shining a spotlight on the best of the sector, we want to demonstrate how effective governance can transform a charity and even more of the lives of its beneficiaries.  I am delighted to announce that in tandem to the overall prize, every nomination to the Awards this year will receive complimentary membership to the CO3 Trustee Network for the year.”

Chief Executive David Babington accepted the honour by paying tribute to Action Mental Health’s Board of Directors. “It’s great to see Third Sector leadership and governance being recognised. Hats off to all our board, who freely give of their time and expertise, and it is to them we are indebted for this award.

“The win is further testament to their great dedication and commitment in supporting Action Mental Health’s mission to support and promote positive mental health in Northern Ireland.”