There was a celebratory mood in Portadown Town Hall on 31 January as AMH New Horizons Craigavon & Banbridge recognised the achievements of their clients.

Lord Mayor Cllr Garath Keating was in attendance to present a range of certificates to mark the many accomplishments in areas including employability, IT, photography, horticulture, wellbeing and business and administration.

Speaking at the event Colin Loughran, AMH Service Manager said, “I am delighted to see the achievements of all the learners and applaud everyone on their hard work and recovery journey. It’s a pleasure to work with, and for, people so determined to make positive change in their lives no matter how small that role may be.

“Our staff team should be proud of their achievements in designing and delivering the broad range of opportunities for people to benefit from.

“The achievements celebrated today are the result of the effective partnership between AMH, the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for the Economy, and the Southern Health & Social Care Trust, who are thanked for their continued support of our work.”

During the event Renatas Dirse shared his thoughts on his journey so far. He said, “I attended a mix of classes such as IT, gardening and Tai Chi. I enjoyed the routine of going to the classes and they really helped me a lot. I have more trust in myself as I have actually achieved something and have more confidence to apply for jobs.”

AMH New Horizons offer a range of recognised qualifications and provide training, personal development programmes and social and recreational activities. AMH New Horizons offers guidance and support, helping people to overcome the effects of mental ill health and in many cases return to work.

Find out more about AMH New Horizons.

AMH Downpatrick were delighted to receive a visit from Christine Cunningham, Branch Manager, Danske Bank and Joan Fegan, Careers Service, Ballynahinch JBO recently.

They visited the service to enable clients undertaking employability training, as part of the ESF Working it Out project, to experience a job interview. This was a very beneficial experience for the clients involved, with the feedback proving to be particularly useful.

 

 

Clients and staff in Action Mental Health New Horizons were busy this week, showcasing the Working it Out project to visiting funders to the Antrim facility. The Working it Out project works with individuals who are recovering from mental ill health and progressing towards further education, training or employment.

Part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the project provides training in personal development, vocational skills and employability. Welcoming Fiona White, Managing Authority for the European Social Fund to their facilities in Antrim, Service Manager John Davis led visitors through an IT session, an employability workshop and observed younger people taking part in the Evolve programme which aims to develop their confidence and self-esteem.

Specialist staff deliver accredited training and work with individuals to develop goals, action plans and support work based training placements to assist in their progression and enhance social inclusion.

Find out more about New Horizons.

Danske Bank has today announced that Action Mental Health will be its new charity partner for 2017.

Money raised through the partnership will help fund AMH’s work with young people through their Mensanna project including delivery of ‘Healthy Me’; a health promotion programme for 8-11 year olds that aims to positively promote mental health and social and emotional wellbeing in children.

Announcing the new partnership, Danske Bank’s Chief Executive Kevin Kingston:

“As a local bank, we are aware that mental ill-health is a growing issue in Northern Ireland and we feel privileged to work with Action Mental Health in 2017.“Danske Bank staff and customers have a long history of supporting local charities and have raised over £1.3m over the past 10 years alone. This year through our Danske Time to Give volunteering programme, we will have an even greater focus on our staff contributing their time, skills and professional expertise to support Action Mental Health and its clients. And like any good partnership, we will also be able to benefit from Action Mental Health’s expertise to better support our staff and customers throughout 2017.”

Action Mental Health’s Chief Executive, David Babington, said:

“We are extremely pleased that Danske Bank has chosen to focus on and support mental health and well-being in the coming year and we are delighted to have the support of such a recognisable brand like Danske Bank.  Our team in AMH will work closely with Danske Bank to host a number of fundraising activities and events to raise much needed funds and awareness, tackle stigma and promote positive mental health”.

To help kick-start fundraising, Danske Bank and Action Mental Health will be hosting a Dragon Boat Race on the River Lagan on Saturday 11th March 2017.

 

Every New Year we make resolutions with the best intentions, there’s something about the promise of a fresh start and a clean slate that makes us set them every year.

New Year Resolutions often revolve around our health –  getting fit, losing weight, stopping smoking –  but how about this year you follow the “5 ways to Wellbeing”?

2017 could be your time to take responsibility for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing.

By adopting these 5 Simple Steps you can increase your life expectancy by up to 7.5 years.

 

1. connect

2. be active

3. take notice

4. keep learning

5. give

• Connect – connect with the people around you: your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Spend time developing these relationships.
• Be active – you don’t have to go to the gym. Take a walk, go cycling or play a game of football. Find an activity that you enjoy and make it a part of your life.
• Keep learning – learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence. So why not sign up for that cooking course, start learning to play a musical instrument, or figure out how to fix your bike?
• Give to others – even the smallest act can count, whether it’s a smile, a thank you or a kind word. Larger acts, such as volunteering at your local community centre, can improve your mental wellbeing and help you build new social networks.
• Be mindful – be more aware of the present moment, including your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you. Some people call this awareness “mindfulness”. It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges.

The Five Ways to wellbeing were developed by the New Economics Foundation. You can download the Take 5 poster here.