A trailblazing new peacebuilding project aiming to tackle mental health and well-being in children and young people on both sides of the border has been launched.

The EU PEACE IV-funded project, called ‘OUR Generation,’ marked its official launch on 24th September 2020 through a unique virtual event when its objective – Growing Up Better, Together – was unveiled.

Speakers for the launch included Junior Minister Gordon Lyons and Junior Minister Declan Kearney, Gina McIntyre (C.E.O SEUPB), David Babington (C.E.O Action Mental Health), Rosaline Keenan (Senior Manager Service Reform)  and Siobhan O’Neil (Interim Mental Health Champion for NI).

Audience members were able to watch a live online event streamed from Youth Action’s Rainbow Factory Studio hosted by Cool FM’s Curtis McCosh, which featured a special video of children and young people performing The Who’s ‘My Generation’.

OUR Generation is a partnership led by Action Mental Health, funded through the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Match-funding for the project has been provided by The Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development in Ireland.

The cross-border project will be delivered through education, youth and community settings across the Five Urban Village Areas of Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and Northern Ireland, with the aim of building positive relations and emotional resilience in communities impacted by four decades of the Troubles and the legacy of the conflict across the island of Ireland.

The partnership of seven organisations will utilise €6.1M (£5.1M) of EU PEACE IV funding to support communities to tackle post-conflict peace building and mental health over three years.

Joining Action Mental Health are partners Donegal Youth Service, Co-Operation Ireland, Youth Action NI, YouthWork Ireland, PlayBoard NI and Ulster University.

OUR Generation will reach 36,000 children and young people who will engage in programme design and delivery, including provision of peer support, developing skills and confidence to improve well-being within their communities. They will also act as agents of change, building peace for future generations.

Junior Minister Gordon Lyons and Junior Minister Declan Kearney were delighted to be part of this important launch event for the OUR Generation programme, with its combined focus on mental health and peace building.

Junior Minister Gordon Lyons said: “The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children and young people’s mental health is of increasing concern; and today, Professor Siobhan O’Neill, the Government’s Mental Health Champion, has made it quite clear why we need a programme like ‘Our Generation’.

“What is evident today, is the strength of commitment to work with young people to make a difference in their lives. To support them to help each other, building resilience in their young lives and building peace across their communities. I am proud that the Executive is supporting this PEACE IV programme, contributing £629,642 to the initiative while being delivered in Urban Village areas and across the Border Counties.”

Junior Minister Kearney commented: “Poor mental health is a barrier preventing our young people and communities from thriving in a post-conflict society. Too many families are struggling or have already lost loved ones; and we find that some of the highest statistics of this happening are sadly in Urban Village areas.

“This new project will help to support tens of thousands of children and young people in Urban Village areas and border counties, working with them and with existing community programmes in a co-design process. They will use creativity and innovation to encourage more joined-up approaches to reach those most in need and to support peace building.”

Speaking about the project Heather Humphreys, Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Community and Rural Development and the Islands, said: “I want to congratulate the seven regional organisations involved in this cross-border partnership to implement the Our Generation project.   

“It is great to see these organisations working collectively and collaborating in the area of mental health recovery.

“I am confident that this EU PEACE IV funded project will assist large numbers of children and young people as well as their families on both sides of the border.  I am delighted that my Department is an Accountable Department for this funding and we will work with all parties to ensure delivery of this important project. 

I wish all involved every success in the implementation of this project.”

Welcoming the project, Gina McIntyre, Chief Executive of the SEUPB said: “Unfortunately one of the enduring legacies of the conflict/troubles is intergenerational trauma, which is passed from one generation to the next; preventing young people from reaching their full potential and creating long- lasting mental health problems.

“The Our Generation project will help to change this by building emotional resilience and improving the mental health of tens of thousands of young people, on both sides of the border. Designed by and for them, the project will also encourage greater levels of cross-community contact and intercultural awareness, which will help to build a more peaceful and cohesive society.

“I am delighted that this important work has been supported by the PEACE IV Programme and I wish every success to all those who will become involved. I am really looking forward to seeing and hearing about its development over the coming weeks and months.”

Siobhan O’Neil, Interim Mental Health Champion for Northern Ireland added: “I’m delighted to have contributed to the design of this ground-breaking project integrating peacebuilding and emotional wellbeing. Our team at Ulster University are overseeing the delivery of a suite of trauma-informed resilience programmes, to reduce the risk of mental illness later in life. Our vision is that the next generation will be strong resilient and empathic, and in a position to deliver a better Northern Ireland”.

David Babington, CEO of Action Mental Health and Spokesperson for the project said: “We know that the legacy of the troubles has created a very specific set of circumstances, local communities have been impacted in many ways. One of the biggest impacts has been on the mental health and well-being of our population.

“We also know that with the right early intervention with children and young people, we can help to prevent many of these issues developing. That’s why we are absolutely delighted to lead the Our Generation project with our partners.

“We truly believe this ground breaking initiative can create a real and lasting legacy by giving children and young people the skills and confidence they need for positive mental health and resilience and the opportunity to learn and grow together to build peace for the future”

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You can watch the launch here – starting at the 22 minute mark.

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The innovators behind the pioneering new ChatPal app – a chatbot aimed at promoting positive mental health – are today addressing progress and potential new advances in the technology following its launch in August.

ChatPal, a Positive Psychology ChatBot is a new mental health app designed to support users’ mental health and wellbeing. It starts a dialogue with users around how to maintain positive emotions and good physical health and is available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Developed by researchers from Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and Ulster University, the app develops relationships, as well as engendering a sense of accomplishment and meaning among users.

 ChatPal is a research project funded by the EU and the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme, of which Action Mental Health is a partner member.

The app was launched early to meet increased demand for mental health assistance, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, especially among the isolated and people living alone

Today’s developmental workshop focused on tracking users’ experience to aid their successful progress through the App’s many facets, including mood logging, gratitude diaries, goal setting, mindfulness and meditation, self-compassion, physical wellbeing, nutrition and sleep. It also discussed the possibility of adopting the World Health Organisation’s wellbeing scale on suicide prevention.

Learn more about ChatPal here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouaDc2R1FA0#action=share

One of Action Mental Health’s clients at AMH New Horizons Derriaghy is doing it for himself – and for others – in the 2020 DIY Granite Challenge.

Mark Kincaid, who attends the service – which will soon be moving and will be known as AMH New Horizons Lisburn – has embraced the new look cycling challenge which has had to be repackaged due to the ongoing pandemic.

Mark explained why he was raising money for Action Mental Health in the do-it-yourself cycling challenge.

“I suffer from mental health issues, and have done for over 23 years. I also love cycling, so doing this challenge for a mental health charity is a win win for me.

“There are various charities available, if you want to raise money, but AMH holds a special significance, it has been a lifeline for me over the past two years. I can’t thank them enough for giving me a space to feel important and valued, without judgement. 

“I would cycle around the world ten times if it would guarantee I never suffered again. I know it wouldn’t. So instead I’m going to clock as many KMs as possible between 4th – 11th October to help raise much needed funds, so that someone like me can be rescued by AMH.”

You can make a donation to support Mark’s fundraising efforts by visiting his fundraising page – https://amh.enthuse.com/pf/mark-kincaid

To join Mark in this year’s DIY Granite Challenge by REGISTERING to take part. You’ll be raising funds to help support Action Mental Health’s vital services across Northern Ireland and also getting active to support your own mental health.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE OR REGISTER.

Clients at New Horizons Newry have been using pedal power to challenge themselves ahead of National Fitness Day on Wednesday, September 23. A number of cyclists took to the trails to complete an impressive 24-mile cycle from Newry to Scarva and back, enjoying the benefits of the great outdoors.

The group bike ride was part of a series of activities undertaken by the New Horizons gang which also included running, walking and swimming. Collectively, they clocked up a whopping 1000 miles. They cycled under sunny skies and had so much fun en route that they might even get on their bikes again to aim for 2000 miles!

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AMH New Horizons supports the recovery of adults experiencing mental ill health and provides a comprehensive programme of specialist training in personal development, vocational skills and employability. Clients take part in the ‘Working it Out’ project which is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for the Economy and the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust.

Action Mental Health is delighted to be growing its service in Lisburn with the opening of AMH New Horizons Lisburn. Having served the people of Lisburn and surrounding areas from its current hub in the Cutts, Dunmurry, AMH will be moving to Railway Street in Lisburn at the end of September.

The move to Lisburn will provide more space with improved facilities for clients, coupled with better transport access, being close to both local rail and bus services.

AMH New Horizons supports the recovery of adults experiencing mental ill health and provides a comprehensive programme of specialist training in personal development, vocational skills and employability. Clients take part in the ‘Working it Out’ project which is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for the Economy and the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust

Action Mental Health’s Accept Project was initially established in Railway Street, Lisburn in 1995, before relocating to Derriaghy in 1999. The charity established AMH The Junction for young people in Bridge street in 2001. It too, moved to Derriaghy in 2009 where it merged with Accept to be renamed AMH New Horizons in 2015. The service has continued to grow and develop and the need for bigger premises was clearly evident.

Service Manager Eoin McAnuff said the relocation to Lisburn would eventually offer increased capacity for people in the community experiencing mental ill health, adding that it would also allow many clients to return to face to face services who haven’t enjoyed this since the lockdown began back in March.

“We have been working hard over the last six months running a range of online courses to engage our clients. Recently we reopened the service to a limited number to continue face to face classes to those who needed it most. The move however, will enable us to welcome more clients back who haven’t been with us for six months. This should help improve the health and wellbeing of our clients engaging in our service. It should also pave the way for an increase in capacity in the future.” “We have been actively looking to relocate to larger premises in Lisburn City Centre for quite some time so I am delighted to finally see the move happen as I know how much it will benefit our clients.

Work has been ongoing on the revamp of the Railway Street premises in recent months to enable clients to pursue the vocational and therapeutic courses available through New Horizons.

The coronavirus pandemic will mean the planned opening ceremony will have to be postponed to a later date, clients will however be able to avail of the range of activities on offer immediately.

Our virtual cycling challenge 4^th – 11^th October 2020

Action Mental Health is challenging keen cyclists of all ages and skill levels to clock up as many kilometres as they can in the week of World Mental Health Day, which takes place on 10th October 2020.

Getting active is great for your mental health.

Register Now for our DIY Granite Challenge.

Now more than ever, looking after your mental health as well as your physical health is so important!

AND by taking part you can help raise funds to support our services for local people!

At this time of year, we would normally be getting ready to host our popular Granite Challenge. Whilst we can’t do so this year, our DIY Granite Challenge is an exciting opportunity for our friends in the cycling world (and beyond) to get on their bikes, enjoy the great outdoors and raise vital funds for Action Mental Health.

Many charity sportives have had to be cancelled, so this event is a chance for club riders and others to enjoy the great outdoors, whilst raising funds for Action Mental Health, at a time when our services are seeing increasing demand and our fundraising income has been greatly reduced.

You can REGISTER as an individual or as part of a team (max 5).

Simply set yourself a target distance and get pedalling!

You can clock up your kilometres any time between the 4th- 11th October 2020 and you can do it at a time and place that suits you.

You could even complete the route of our traditional Granite Challenge during the week.

As you plan this activity we will be in regular contact, and look forward to seeing many of our friends and supporters from the cycling world signing up to take part

Registration is now open and it’s incredibly simple to sign up to take part, simply click here to REGISTER

Once you’ve registered and set up your own page, you can share this your own social media channels to track your progress with distance achieved and to take donations from friends and family.

It’s really simple to register as either an individual or a team – just follow the instructions on the REGISTRATION pages.

You can also speak to our fundraising team by emailing [email protected] or by calling 028 9182 8494. They will be happy to help with any registration or fundraising queries.

To help put the fun into fundraising and to make this event as enjoyable as possible, when you register we will send you lots of simple and quick ideas on how to get the very most from your challenge!

We also will be keeping an eye on the leader board, for both the team challenge and individual challenge to see who comes out on top with the most distance covered (not that cyclists are competitive….)!

So please REGISTER today and use your pedal power to support the vital services of Action Mental Health.

Please do remember to adhere to all public health guidance to help keep you and everyone else safe. You can keep up to date on the NI Direct Website.

If you wish to obtain or update your insurance for cycling you can do so by visiting the Cycling Ireland Website.

Thank you.

Not one but two members of Team AMH have been rewarded with a coveted ICE award – heralding their Innovation, Creativity and Excellence.

Skills Coach Sara Millar is one of the recipients to receive an ICE award. A member of Action Mental Health’s peripatetic team working with AMH New Horizons Craigavon & Banbridge, Sara has made an immense contribution to the charity during the lockdown, producing YouTube videos, leading Zoom crafts classes and supporting clients in cooking, gardening and exercising. Meanwhile, she also invested time and energy assisting fellow staff members, one of whom describing her as “inspirational”.

AMH Chairman, Peter Fitzsimons commented: “Sara has displayed remarkable creativity and commitment and we want to thank her for all her efforts for our clients.”

AMH IT Manager, Jonny Cirnaru scooped this year’s second ICE award. When the Covid 19 pandemic hit in March 2020, it quickly became clear that AMH’s traditional way of operating, as a multi-faceted organisation, would alter forever. In response, Jonny led a process of continuing our support, not only to all clients, but also to each individual member of staff within the Recovery, Resilience, Counselling and Business Support teams. Every facet of staff and client engagement and communication was reliant on an IT solution that could be operated through home working and within a remarkably short space of time Jonny came up with the goods.

Mr Fitzsimmons praised Jonny, commenting: “Under Jonny’s guidance and leadership, the IT team procured equipment, sourced all IT solutions and licences and developed help guides for staff. They provided support through the help desk, and as teams used the opportunity for development, the IT department continued to support IT projects moving forward – well done to all!”