Action Mental Health applauds Enniskillen man Sean Paul Curry, who in October faced his fears to raise funds for AMH Boost!
The Fermanagh man headed off to Australia to skydive in the picturesque Byron Bay area to raise cash for AMH’s Boost Programme in memory of his friend Shauna Reilly.
Sean’s feat of courage raised £655, well beyond his £500 target!!
Boost, which is designed for young people from 18-25 who are recovering from mental health challenges, helps them rebuild their confidence and develop new skills following periods of mental ill health.
Picture L-R Stuart Crooks, 10, P7; Jaye Pollock, 9, P6; Kieran Mulvenna, principal Carrick Grammar; Dylan Sproule, 12, Y2; Sarah Boyd, 13, Y2; Jennifer Miller, principal, Carrick Model PS; Evie Coates, 9, P5 and Cameron Fitzgerald, 9 P5.
A pioneering new mental health initiative for young people and children as young as eight years of age up to 25 has been unveiled in response to the rising incidence of mental ill health issues among Northern Ireland’s younger generation.
The Northern Area Mental Health Initiative, supported through funding received from the Social Investment Fund under the NI Executive’s Delivering Social Change framework, was launched to equip children and young people with the resilience to handle periods of mental ill health one quarter of them are statistically likely to face.
The Northern Area Mental Health Initiative is an innovative and exciting new project led by Cookstown and Western Shores Area Network (CWSAN), in partnership with Action Mental Health and Nexus NI.
The Initiative will deliver free mental health awareness and resilience training, internet safety, sexual abuse and exploitation education for almost 6000 young people aged from 8 to 25 in schools, youth clubs and through key contacts.
The Initiative is to be funded by SIF for two years, until March 2019, and will be delivered across the Northern Social Investment Zone which broadly mirrors the Northern Health and Social Care Trust boundary.
Some 1700 Key Stage 2 children – from 8 to 11 year olds in Primary 5 to 7 will receive the ground-breaking training, while children at post primary level, approximately 2700 pupils aged 11 to 16 in years 8 to 12, will also undergo the programme. The unique training package will also be delivered to some 1380 teenagers from 16 years up to 25 through youthclub groups, parents and carers.
Elements of the training will include mental health awareness and resilience training; bespoke resilience workshops – like building resilience to cope with exam stress, self-esteem for the group; and education on sexual abuse and exploitation. This important element will be heavily targeted at the youngest group from 11 to 16, with 3940 of this age demographic participating in this programme.
The Initiative will target children and young people living in the Coleraine, Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, Ballymena, Antrim and Larne areas.
Dr Mark Browne of The Executive Office said:
“Communities across Northern Ireland are acutely aware of the challenges of mental health. Unfortunately, too many people feel alone in dealing with the harsh reality and impacts of poor mental health.
“This important initiative funded by the Social Investment Fund will provide a range of information, support, training and signposting for a range of mental health and wellbeing support services for 8 to 25 year olds,” he added.
“The Social Investment Fund is designed to find local solutions to deliver real, long-lasting social benefits for those who need it most. I have no doubt this SIF project will make a massive difference to the local community and wish everyone involved every success in the delivery.”
Kieran Mulvenna, Principal of Carrickfergus Grammar School where The Initiative has already been introduced, said:
‘The current generation of young people are subject to unprecedented stresses which put their mental health, their happiness and their future life chances at greater risk than ever before.
“The inescapable pressure of social media, an examination system which is based on relentless assessment, and the resultant lack of personal space in which to process the challenges of growing up in the 21st Century have left our young people more vulnerable to mental health crises than their parents could ever have imagined.
“The most important benefit of initiatives such as this is the removal of stigma. Mental health problems often evolve silently and we have found that educating pupils as to their causes and symptoms has allowed them to access support for themselves and, just as importantly, watch out for their friends more effectively. Feedback from our pupils on these matters is very encouraging and they clearly welcome the emphasis that mental health now receives in schools.”
Jennifer Miller, principal Carrick Model, Dylan Sproule, Sarah Boyd, Kieran Mulvenna, principal Carrick Grammar, Cameron Fitzgerald, Evie Coates, Stuart Crooks, Jaye Pollock.
Jaye Pollock, Jennifer Miller, principal Carrick Model, Stuart Crooks, Dylan Sproule, Cameron Fitzgerald, Sarah Boyd, Evie Coates, Kieran Mulvenna, principal Carrick Grammar
Jaye Pollock, Cameron Fitzgerald, Jennifer Miller, principal Carrick Model, Dylan Sproule, Sarah Boyd, Kieran Mulvenna, principal Carrick Grammar, Stuart Crooks, Evie Coates
Siobhan Broderick from The Executive Office (Social Investment Fund), Helena Bracken, Project Manager with Nexus NI, David Babington, Chief Executive AMH, Eileen McGovern, CWSAN, and William Adamson, Chair of the Northern Zone Steering Committee. The officials were joined by children from Carrickfergus Model PS and Carrickfergus Grammar School
Front row – Cameron, Jaye, Siobhan Broderick TEO, Helena, David Babington, William Adamson, Evie and Stuart.
Everyone will be given a very warm welcome this Christmas by the Rotary Club of Enniskillen at their Christmas Concert. Taking place on 6th December this festive event will feature 3 choirs – the Famous Sligo Gospel Choir and the Choirs of St Macartin’s and St Michael’s – in not 1 but 2 venues!
The first half will take place in St Macartin’s Cathedral and the second half in St Michael’s Church!
Afterwards the audience will be treated to mulled wine and mince pies in the Cathedral Hall.
Donations on the night will be in aid of Action Mental Health so put a note in your diary – we’d love to see you there!
Tickets are available at Grahams Menswear, St Macartin’s Cathedral Office or by contacting the following Rotarians:
Pictured Mary and Gary with Magee University Lecturer Cheryl McMullin
Many thanks and very well done to Mary and Gary from AMH New Horizons Foyle who volunteered to help out Social Work students from the Ulster University, Magee as part of their Preparation for Practice learning module.
Mary and Gary spent time with the students exploring their knowledge and experience of services, professionals and recounting their own personal journeys. They then took part in mock interviews so the students could develop their skills in a realistic professional environment.
AMH hopes this opportunity becomes an annual event to sit alongside our existing activities with UU which include the World Mental Health day conference, lecturing and accommodating student nurse placements and service visits.
AMH was at Belfast Castle recently celebrating and accepting the prestigious Investors in People Gold Award.
John Davis and Maria McVeigh collect our IiP award
Action Mental Health achieved the Investor in People Standard in 2000, the first mental health organisation in Northern Ireland to meet the grade and continue to date to use the IiP framework as a global benchmark of excellence.
Theresa McDermott, Director of Investors in People Northern Ireland commented,
“organisations achieving the Gold Standard IiP Generation 6 perform at an advanced level. Their principles and practices drive positive outcomes which contribute to achieving the organisation ambition.”
Chief Executive David Babington agreed,
“Action Mental Health is committed to the high standards of the Investors in People Standard. We are proud to be the first organisation in the Voluntary and Community Sector to also achieve the Health & Wellbeing award (IiP Generation 6). AMH leads the way in ensuring the AMH team can perform at their peak, both physically and psychologically”.
A diverse range of businesses converged on Stormont on Tuesday, October 10 to mark World Mental Health Day which this year places a special focus on ‘Mental Health in the Workplace’.
Local companies from the public and private sectors, from banks, to food producers met for a Business Breakfast to celebrate efforts to promote healthy and resilient workplaces with Action Mental Health (AMH) and the AMH Belfast Employers’ Forum
The theme of this year’s event, set by the World Federation for Mental Health, was addressed by The Equality Commission and the Labour Relations Agency, addressing the importance of the Mental Health Charter and its relevance to the workplace.
The Mental Health Charter encourages business to adopt best practice in the workplace based on five commitments, chief among them to create a workplace culture which respects those with mental ill health and to promote equality of opportunity for those with mental ill health.
The event, was hosted by Kellie Armstrong, Alliance Party MLA for Strangford. As participants attended the early morning event, Stormont was shining a light on World Mental Health Day by being illuminated in purple, setting the example for a number of other civic buildings across Northern Ireland also going purple for the event.
David Babington, chief executive of Action Mental Health commented: “As we mark World Mental Health Day, with its particular focus on ‘Mental Health in the Workplace’, there is a raft of startling and alarming statistics which clearly underline the need for events like these – and the need for businesses to sign up to the Mental Health Charter.
A number of organisations marked the special occasion by signing up to the Mental Health Charter including the Labour Relations Agency, the CBI, Telestack and Mercer.
CBI director Angela McGowan said: “The CBI hopes to lead the way in encouraging other local businesses, which have yet to sign up to the Mental Health Charter, to consider adopting its ideals.
“By embracing its five commitments we can all help create more positive and tolerant workplaces for those living with mental
On Sunday 8th October , cycling enthusiasts were once again invited to put their endurance to the test by competing in the annual Granite Challenge event to help raise funds for Action Mental Health (AMH). Hundreds and hundreds of cyclists arrived in Downpatrick early to take on the 55 mile long distance cycle and raise vital funds for the charity’s Men’s Shed project, a support network for men aged 50 and over.
Back for its sixth year running, the event was supported by a Lanterne Rouge Cycling Club, White’s Oats, McConvey Cycles and Rapid Relief Team.
Following a nutritious bowl of White’s Oats porridge and tea and coffee at registration – the cyclists got their wheels spinning at the starting line at AMH’s New Horizons Service in Downpatrick and followed a route that took in the scenic surroundings of Tyrella, Newcastle, the Mournes and Silent Valley before returning via Bryansford, Maghera and Clough. The now famous tea stop at the top of Spelga was a welcome sight as were the hundreds of traybakes baked by our very own Shedders! Then it was off again, back to Downpatrick, for a bowl of homemade soup and a well earned rest!
A grand day out was had by all – we would like to send thanks to everyone who took part, and to our wonderful army of volunteers. Well done everyone! There’s lots of photos on our facebook page!
AMH Enniskillen Service Manager Caroline Ferguson with local Rotary Club President Henry Robinson and AMH’s Sean Connolly.
The Rotary Club of Enniskillen ran a very successful coffee and information morning in aid of Action Mental Health (AMH) in the Cathedral Hall on Saturday, October 7. A steady stream of visitors called in to enjoy a cuppa and learn something of the work being undertaken at the AMH New Horizons Centre at Drumcoo. An amazing £2800 has been raised to date. Caroline Ferguson from Action Mental Health commented: “We are constantly overwhelmed at the generosity of local people and Saturday was no different. The funds raised will be used locally in Fermanagh to help young people living with mental ill-health.”
Henry Robinson, from The Rotary Club, has chosen to support Action Mental Health during his year as President. They are fundraising for a dedicated project aimed at supporting young people aged 16-25. The proposed project is to provide a purpose built room for the young people who attend the Boost Programme at AMH.
Boost is aimed at 16 to 25 year olds who are concerned about their mental and emotional well-being. It provides a programme of positive steps and personal development to help them get back on track. At present there is no dedicated space for the programme.
The new room at the Drumcoo centre will give them the space and freedom to discuss and address mental health issues, which for many people, remain taboo. Boost provides opportunities for self-discovery, helping young people regain confidence, have fun and make new friends. The programme combines training, personal development and activities, to help build resilience and promote positive coping techniques alongside other young people facing similar challenges.
Henry said: “We are delighted at the response we received on Saturday, it is a great start to our year of fundraising for AMH and on behalf of everyone at the Club and at AMH, a massive thank you to the people of Fermanagh for their generous support.
“Good mental health is something we all need to consider and the work that AMH does with our young people is absolutely vital. I hope that others will join us in supporting their work.”
Action Mental Health applauds Enniskillen man Sean Paul Curry, who in October faced his fears to raise funds for AMH Boost!
Everyone will be given a very warm welcome this Christmas by the Rotary Club of Enniskillen at their Christmas Concert. Taking place on 6th December this festive event will feature 3 choirs – the Famous Sligo Gospel Choir and the Choirs of St Macartin’s and St Michael’s – in not 1 but 2 venues!
On Sunday 8th October , cycling enthusiasts were once again invited to put their endurance to the test by competing in the annual Granite Challenge event to help raise funds for Action Mental Health (AMH). Hundreds and hundreds of cyclists arrived in Downpatrick early to take on the 55 mile long distance cycle and raise vital funds for the charity’s Men’s Shed project, a support network for men aged 50 and over.
