With today (October 10) World Mental Health Day, we’re excited to share details of our major new campaign, which aims to raise awareness of mental health issues in Northern Ireland and raise vital funds for our services. Supported by local actor, James (Jimmy) Nesbitt, along with our ambassador, Olympic Champion Rhys McClenaghan, the “I AM SOMEONE” campaign officially launched at Stormont’s Long Gallery yesterday (October 9).
At the heart of the campaign – which shares stories from Action Mental Health clients who have accessed support from our various services – is a message that, with the right intervention, recovery is possible. With one in five adults experiencing mental health issues and one in eight children encountering emotional difficulties, it subsequently shows the human side of these statistics.
James Nesbitt, who introduced the campaign trailer via video message, said: “I’m delighted to be supporting Action Mental Health’s “I AM SOMEONE” campaign. Mental health matters and it’s something which affects us all. We often hear about how bad healthcare waiting lists are in Northern Ireland and how mental health services are close to breaking point. We therefore need to ensure that timely access to support is there when and where people need it.
“Action Mental Health’s “I AM SOMEONE” campaign reminds us that that one in five person could be someone you know. It could be your friend, neighbour, co-worker … It could even be you. As the saying goes, it’s always darkest before the dawn, but remember – no matter how dark it gets, help is out there and recovery is possible.”
Our ambassador and Olympic Gold Medallist, Rhys McClenaghan, who attended the launch in person, told the audience he hoped the campaign would “keep the conversation going about mental health and serve as a reminder to us all that there are real people behind the statistics we read about but that help is available, no matter what you’re going through.”
Meanwhile, our CEO, David Babington, added that, when discussing the statistics behind service delivery it was easy to forget that “we are talking about people – their lives, their careers, their futures.”
“This campaign provides some ownership to those who experience a wide range of mental ill-health and, as a result, are directly affected by ongoing funding cuts, closures of support services and programmes,” he said. “‘I AM SOMEONE’ forms part of our wider efforts to highlight the need to protect and enhance mental health service provision across Northern Ireland. If we are to truly implement the transformation agenda, we need to acknowledge the critical role played by the community and voluntary sector in delivering support to the most vulnerable in our society.”
With three of the five Action Mental Health clients also attending the launch on the day – Vicky, Ross and Deirdre – they shared some of their stories to those assembled as part of a panel discussion, facilitated by NI presenter and reporter, Barra Best. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland’s Mental Health Champion, Professor Siobhan O’Neill, was also in attendance and discussed the wider impact of poor mental health on society, the local economy and local communities.
She said: “As Mental Health Champion, I’ve seen the amazing work undertaken by community and voluntary sector services across NI, to support those struggling with their mental health. It’s wonderful to read the stories of the people who have benefited from the support offered by Action Mental Health and it’s important that we celebrate these services, and acknowledge their essential role in providing support to people across NI.
“However, every day more and more services are struggling to keep their doors open as funding grows thin. We urgently need investment in the third sector and full funding for the Mental Health Strategy to achieve the transformation of mental health so all those people who are struggling can receive the help that they need.”
