I had always held down employment until I became unwell approximately 5 years ago. During my illness I withdrew myself from my family circle of friends and became very isolated and my world seemed to become smaller.
I met with the Psychiatrist one day who suggested that I come to AMH Foyle New Horizons, I agreed but felt very anxious and apprehensive about starting.
On starting AMH I was based in the Catering and Woodwork Departments, I found it very difficult at the start as I was very quiet and slow to make friends.
I did the Men’s Health course which I found very interesting and informative and it gave me the opportunity to meet other Clients within the Unit.
When I settled in and felt more comfortable and at ease I started a woodwork course and then a Food Hygiene course, achieving these courses helped build my confidence and self- esteem and also enabled me to get to know everyone within these departments and helped me realise that I wasn’t alone with my illness.
I found that I was becoming more involved in the Catering Department with food prep, baking and cooking and realised that I really enjoyed it and proceeded to commence and subsequently achieve NVQ I and II in Catering.
I then met with the Employment Officer (Valerie) to discuss options for placement and although I felt a little nervous about taking this step Valerie assured me that I would be fully supported the whole way through the process. We discussed various places for placement and both agreed on The Delacroix Restaurant. Valerie made contact with them and they agreed to meet with both of us for an informal chat and I started the following week and I now attend my work base training placement one day per week.
My confidence has steadily grown and I have now also taken on an NVQ III in Professional cooking at North West Regional College. I have moved on from AMH but continue to attend my placement at The Delacroix and will receive ongoing support from Valerie.
Coming to the AMH Service was one of the best positive decisions I have ever made as I could never have imagined myself achieving the goals I have achieved to date and I would have to attribute all credit to my success to AMH especially Damian and John. Thank you
Valued members of the AMH team recently celebrated their silver anniversary with AMH. In recognition of 25 years service, each of them were presented with a memento to celebrate the occasion.
We are very lucky to have such dedicated and passionate staff – congratulations and thank you to each and every one!
David Babington, Chief Executive of AMH, signs the Mental Health Charter
Some of Northern Ireland’s top employers were at Stormont today supported by Mark H Durkan MLA to sign up to a new initiative, the Mental Health Charter, which signals their commitment to helping employees get through difficulties at work caused by mental illness.
The Charter is a joint project between the Equality Commission, Action Mental Health, Change Your Mind, Disability Action, Mental Health Foundation , MindWise and Niamh.
“Around a third of lost working days are due to mental ill health. It’s the single most common cause of sickness absence in the public sector and one of the top two across the workforce as a whole,”
Dr Michael Wardlow, Chief Commissioner of the Equality Commission, said at the launch event.
“Almost a third of the workforce has been diagnosed with a mental health condition. The cost to employers of sickness absence due to mental ill health is colossal.
“The Mental Health Charter is not an accreditation, an award or a set of quality standards. It’s a voluntary commitment by an employer and shows an organisation’s willingness to work with all the partners in this initiative to ensure that Northern Ireland’s workplaces are more supportive of people who find themselves having to deal with mental illness.
“As a first step, we’ll be working with signatories to find out how we can build in long-term sustainable information and training support that will help managers identify and offer help and support to staff with mental health issues. There is a wide range of options for other support from our partners that’s open to all employers.
“Signing the Charter is a company’s sign of commitment to improving the working lives of employees experiencing mental ill health,”
Dr. Wardlow said.
“It’s a long-term, practical undertaking that links the Commission and our partner organisations with employers to help them deliver this commitment.”
David Babington, Chief Executive, Action Mental Health said,
“the Mental Health Charter will act as a catalyst for employers to engage on workplace wellbeing. The mental health of staff is paramount to having a healthy workforce. The Mental Health Charter will strengthen AMH’s aim to support healthy resilient workplaces.”
Clients from AMH New Horizons, North Down & Ards have been very busy in recent months, developing, scripting, filming and acting in their own short film which portrays some of the difficulties of living with mental health issues. Local film maker, Michael MacBroom worked with the group to develop their ideas and concepts into the short film which is to be screened at Belfast City Hall on Tuesday 11th of October, as a fun and final event in a series of World Mental Health Day activities promoting mental health awareness. The special guests will be Deputy Lord Mayor Mary Ellen Campbell and Brian D’Arcy – writer, newspaper columnist and broadcaster, and everyone is encouraged to wear something bight and colourful to the event.
The film illustrates the restrictions that a mental health problem such as depression or anxiety, or long term conditions such as fibromyalgia, can place on an individual’s life. As part of the process, the film crew also looked at the positive things all of the clients in AMH had in their lives – their ONE THING – the thing, person, activity or place which helps them to push forward, that they can focus on, that makes a not-so-good day brighter and enables recovery. While their ‘one thing’ does not make all their problems go away, it can lessen the impact and help them to get through difficult times. The film is titled ONE THING as the film crew wished to focus on the most positive message in the film. The film project also involved the exploration of colour and our associations with it, through the creation of prints with a local artist, Eimear McCann. The film and artworks will be on show at the event in City Hall and the short film will be distributed across mental health and wellbeing agencies.
A civic reception and the use of Belfast City Hall has kindly been provided by Belfast City Council. The film has been part funded by North Down and Ards Borough Council through their Arts Grants Programme. AMH is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for the Economy.
Speaking about her experience, Caroline Fraser said, “I’ve really enjoyed being part of this project. The film maker has been so patient, I’ve learned so much and the group has really gelled and we are all really understanding how it all fits together now. I don’t want this project to end.”
Colin Wright also agreed, “It’s been extremely fun learning about the film-making process and how much work goes into making even a very short film!”
This trailer for the film – a one minute teaser – will be played on the big screen in the grounds of City Hall periodically between 9am and 9pm on 10th and 11th October 2016. ONE THING will premiere on Tuesday 11th of October, 10.30am at the event inside Belfast City Hall
This photo of Enniskillen Castle is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Queen’s University and Councils across Northern Ireland will shine a light on mental health this October, by illuminating a number of iconic buildings purple to show support for the thousands of people affected by mental illness across the region.
Taking place on World Mental Health Day on Monday 10th October, local residents across Northern Ireland can catch a glimpse of the colourful displays on the following buildings:
Queen’s University Belfast
Antrim Civic Centre and Council Office
Ballyclare Town Hall
Craigavon Civic Centre
Derry City Council Offices and the Guildhall
Lagan Valley Island
Mossley Mill Council Office
Newtownards Town Hall
Newry Town Hall
Enniskillen Castle
Strule Arts Centre, Omagh
Palace Stables, Armagh
Old Technical Building, Banbridge
David Babington, Chief Executive of Action Mental Health, said:
“This year’s theme of World Mental Health day is focused on psychological first aid, which teaches people how to care for and respond to those in distress when experiencing a mental health crisis. For this reason, it’s vital that councils serve as a shining example of how to protect and integrate the people it represents by offering information, guidance and support to anyone who feels like they are struggling to cope.
“I’d like to thank the AMH Client Local Advisory Groups who contacted each of the councils to organise this activity and we are delighted that so many of them are joining in the World Mental Health Day celebrations as a result.
“By turning some of Northern Ireland’s most iconic buildings purple each council is showing support for the 1 in 4 people who will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime.”
The 55 mile cycle, now in its 5th year starts in the cathedral town of Downpatrick, cycling via Tyrella towards Dundrum, then along the coast road through the seaside town of Newcastle, towards Annalong. Then it’s up into the Mourne Mountains, past Silent Valley. The climb up to Spelga will be rewarded at the top with tea and tray bakes. Then it’s downhill towards home, through Bryansford, Maghera and Clough. Final destination is Downpatrick where a homemade lunch awaits you.
North Down Physios are back again this year providing sports massages at the finish line for a small donation.
Pre-registration is recommended as places are limited but you can also register on the morning of the event from 9am.
This year all proceeds from the event will go towards Action Mental Health’s Men’s Shed project in Downpatrick. Men’s Shed is a project for men aged 60+ to share skills, socialise and connect with their wider community.
If you have any questions please contact Callum Clark: [email protected] or 028 9182 8494
Discussing the findings of the Big Lottery Funded Together For You Project at their final conference were expert panel members Barry Turley, Iris Elliot, Mental Health Foundation, Minister of Health Michelle O’Neill MLA, Robbie Butler MLA, Health Committee; David Babington, Action Mental Health, Gerry Lynch; Royal College of Psychiatrists NI.
At a conference on Wednesday 22nd June, nine leading mental health charities celebrated the achievement of reaching over 52,000 beneficiaries with mental health services through the Together For You project, at the La Mon House Hotel. That’s over 15% of the population of Belfast (333,900) OR the entire population of Enniskillen, Antrim and Magherafelt combined! All at a cost of just £52 per head.
Together For You is a partnership project, funded by the Big Lottery Fund and led by Action Mental Health (AMH), working with Aware, CAUSE, CRUSE, MindWise, Nexus, PraxisCare, Relate NI and The Rainbow Project.
The conference was attended by over 170 stakeholders from the voluntary, private and public sector, and was officially opened by Minister of Health, Ms Michelle O’Neill;
“I am delighted to open the final conference of the Together For You Project. The figure of over 52,000 beneficiaries is a real achievement, and I congratulate all of the organisations and individuals involved.
Championing mental health is one of my main priorities. Anyone can be affected by mental illness, and I am determined that the Health and Social Care system provides top-class, recovery-focused care. The outcome of the Together For You Project demonstrates that the voluntary and community sector also has a crucial role in providing mental health and wellbeing services, and I look forward to working with you during my time in office.”
An independent evaluation of the Together For You project, conducted by PACEC revealed the improvement in people’s mental health (over 90%), with a further 90% of beneficiaries reporting that they are more able to seek help with mental health issues and a further 90% reporting they’re more able to direct others to sources of help and support. It is also hoped that the project has a long lasting effect on people’s lives, with over 94% of 294 past participants agreeing or strongly agreeing that the support they received had an ongoing / continued positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing.
Joanne McDowell, Big Lottery Fund NI Director, said:
“Before Big Lottery Fund invested in Together For You, we knew that we wanted to support an initiative that would improve people’s mental wellbeing across Northern Ireland. We are delighted that Together For You has brought groups working in this field together, increasing their impact and allowing them to learn from one another. We hope this partnership will leave a legacy of new collaborations that will work to support people who need help the most.”
David Babington, Chief Executive for Action Mental Health and spokesperson for the partnership said “The Together For You partnership has been extremely successful in reaching such a huge number of beneficiaries in a very short time, under budget. This can only be attributed to the excellent co-ordination of services across the partnership and the sharing of knowledge and practices between the nine leading mental health charities involved. Thanks must go to the Big Lottery Fund for investing in new and innovative ways of delivering mental health services in Northern Ireland, the legacy of which will hopefully live on through sharing of that knowledge today at the conference.”
Minister of Health, Michelle O’Neill MLA and David Babington, Chief Executive of Action Mental Health, Lead Partner for Together for You
Conference attendees also enjoyed hearing from leading teen author Juno Dawson who gave some excellent insights into how she has been raising awareness of mental health with young people following the release of her latest book ‘Mind Your Head’ and also guest speaker Dr Iris Elliott, Head of Research and Policy at the Mental Health Foundation. Thanks must also go to the beneficiaries on the day who bravely spoke about the help they received as a result of the Together For You Project.
Services under Together For You are now closed, however the nine organisations will continue to work hard together to share the learnings from this unique partnership. Read the full evaluation report here or contact the Together For You team on 028 9032 9150 or email [email protected].
Watch our final video summarising the achievements of the Together For You Project (9 mins):
Our New Horizons Service in Newry is hosting a sponsored walk on Saturday 2nd July from Omeath to Carlingford. For more info contact Brian Hughes: [email protected] or 028 3026 6117
