A number of Action Mental Health clients, who are taking part in the ESF funded Working it Out project,  recently grabbed the opportunity to enjoy a day ‘at work’ in a variety of industries and fields, including some they had never experienced before, as part of the Europe-wide Job Shadow Day.

Action Mental Health jumped at the chance to offer clients the chance to improve their employability by marking the employment initiative, founded in 2008 by the Irish Association of Supported Employment

Job Shadow Day highlights the positive contribution people with health conditions and disabilities can make to workforces and the economy.

By 2017 over 800 job seekers participated in the event, across 500 employment sites, securing 55 permanent job placements as a direct result. As part of its wide and varying services, Action Mental Health sources and supports employment opportunities for clients, helping them avail of training and voluntary places.

New Horizons Downpatrick client Emma was offered a stint at Walker’s Seeds and Paints, in Newtownards, to participate in a day in the life of the business.

Noel Walker, manager of the company said: “Emma was welcomed and introduced to the team and given an overview of our products and services. Emma proved to be very competent and was able to carry out all tasks that were given to her.  She was willing to ask when she needed help and was very courteous when dealing with customers.

“I found this experience to be very beneficial knowing that it is helping others to find experience when looking to source employment.”

Mal, also New Horizons Downpatrick, spent a day with Bangor Aurora Aquatic and Leisure Complex. Aurora’s Will Carson said it was a pleasure hosting Mal and letting him shadow employees in the Fitness Suite.

“Even though he was only here a short time Mal demonstrated good communication skills and was able to engage well with the members – probably the most important skill of any aspiring Fitness Instructors. He was also able to see a high-intensity class, a class for people who are at risk of falls, and an aqua fit class all at the same time. This gave him some perspective on the range of abilities he could be working with at any given time.
“It was obvious from the outset that he was already quite knowledgeable and enthusiastic about getting into the industry. He was keen to learn how a Fitness Suite operates on a day-to-day basis and eager to see it in practice. He asked a lot of great questions about the business and fitness in general.

“I hope Mal continues to work toward industry qualifications. He would be an asset to any gym and he is more than welcome to come back here any time.”

Mal enjoyed his shadow day at Aurora.

“When I was shadowing the instructors at Aurora, I found it very interesting to see the running of a gym from their perspective, from setting up the equipment maintaining its cleanliness for hygiene, setting up classes and running them, introducing new members from the young, old and with a wide range of abilities.

“They made new members feel welcome and capable but most of all they made sure that they use the equipment correctly and safely. Everyone had a role and a job to do around the gym and they kept each other informed. Everyone I spoke to loved working there and all of them were friendly and got on with one another, which give the place a nice atmosphere and allowed me to relax and feel comfortable. To finish all I can say is that I learned a lot from my day in the Aurora fitness suite which has helped me understand that day-to-day running of the gym was more than just helping people achieve their goals but keeping the gym in shape too.”

The Working it Out project is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for the Economy.

BELFAST’S newest hotel has announced that Action Mental Health will be its charity partner for 2018/19.  The local charity works to enhance the quality of life and the employability of people with mental ill-health across Northern Ireland as well promoting well-being and resilience to future generations.

In the UK, more than 10 million working days are lost to stress, depression, and anxiety every year, costing more than £10 billion a year to the economy. Work in hotels including shift-work, high level customer service and tight schedules can be a fast-moving and stressful environment.

Lydia Gourley, HR Manager Titanic Hotel Belfast said:

“Mental health is a cross cutting issue in Northern Ireland with one in five people here affected by mental ill-health.   When you consider the number of people working in hospitality and using hospitality services, hotels such as ours are in a unique position to impact people’s lives for the better”.

General Manager, Adrian McNally added,

“We know we have a responsibility to support and protect all the people who touch our business, whether that’s our employees or our guests. We put people at the heart of everything we do and that’s why we are supporting Action Mental Health to continue their vital work in our community.”

Action Mental Health’s Fundraising and Communications Manager, Jonny Smyth, said:

“‘We are extremely pleased that Titanic Hotel Belfast 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 a business so immersed in our local heritage, adding such an exciting new chapter to the enduring and iconic Titanic story.  Our team at AMH will work closely with Titanic Hotel to host a number of fundraising activities and events to raise much needed funds and awareness, tackle stigma and promote positive mental health’.  

April is alcohol awareness month, and considering many people in Northern Ireland exceed recommended healthy levels, it is a societal issue that continues to challenge government and health policy to stem its rising tide.

Some four in five adult drinkers exceed recommended daily limits in Northern Ireland and the overall misuse of alcohol costs the taxpayer close to £500m per year, being supported by health and social services budgets, the courts and prisons to the police and fire and rescue services.

There are also known links between alcohol misuse and mental ill-health, with the World Health Organisation stating that people who consume high amounts of alcohol are vulnerable to higher levels of mental ill-health.

One local woman Ciara Sharkey tells us how AMH helped her conquer her own journey through alcohol difficulties…

“I cannot believe I am actually writing this story when I think back to the first day I came through the doors of AMH. Basically I had been living in hell for three long hears, constantly fighting these demons in my head and my only relationship I had at the time was with the bottle.

I visited the GP on a regular basis and had my medication changed a lot. I was referred to Woodlea House to be detoxed and receive on to one counselling with the alcohol.

My anxiety was at the point it couldn’t have got any higher on the scale I had no intention of ever broadening my horizons. It was then my counsellor in Woodlea House suggested a visit to Foyle New Horizons; I had never felt so much fear running through my body as I did that day. I wstarted New Horizons in August 2016 and I was based in the craft and woodwork departments. I was very aware of all these new people and petrified of anybody trying to start conversations with me. My key worker Albert reassured me on a daily basis and helped a lot, working on my confidence, self-esteem and reducing my alcohol intake.

I started day by day feeling less anxious as I soon discovered I wasn’t the only one who had alcohol and mental health issues. I completed a vast amount of OCN courses. I then started to feel more comfortable throughout the building and started working in the catering department and thrived on the experience I was receiving. I was asked to cover reception at tea time breaks and that alone boosted my confidence immensely.

Albert then suggested I talk to the employment officer about a placement. Fear, anxiety and panic appeared again – but not for long as Valerie suggested a playgroup for children with special needs. I jumped at the chance and fear turned into happiness and excitement. This was an amazing opportunity for me to have the pleasure of working with children.

I now attend the playgroup once a week and I absolutely love it I intend to increase my days to one morning and one afternoon every week. I finally feel like I’ve been given a second chance at life, at happiness and a real desire to be here again.

Foyle New Horizons was the best decision I’ve ever made and I wouldn’t change it for the world. The staff and keyworkers are so supportive and helpful so I just want to thank them so much for everything.”

AMH New Horizons project is part-funded by the NI European Social Fund Programme 2014-202 and the Department for the Economy.

It’s nearly that time again – school summer exam time, and as the barometer starts to rise (often under sunny skies), so too do the stress levels of school children and students as they approach the dreaded fixture on the school calendar, often with fear and trepidation.

But it needed be a time of terror and tears – by simply planning ahead, setting priorities and staying calm, and realising that everyone is more than just their exam results.

One Belfast girl facing her A-levels this year, Anna Kelly, agrees that planning is key to keeping her stress levels at a minimum. Here she shares her tips…

Personally, I have to keep my stress levels minimal or else I can’t absorb the information I’m revising, and if I’m stressed going into the exam I can’t focus. I’ve had my revision notes finished 3 weeks ago and now have plenty of time to read over my notes at least three times before my papers and also have time to do past paper questions.

If I wasn’t this prepared my mental health would definitely be deteriorating. However, my friends are having 3-4 breakdowns every week over realising time is too limited to do a yea’rs worth of revision notes and learning in three weeks, while having the added pressure of needing to meet the conditional graded offers from our universities of choice. This is the stress I have successfully alleviated through my GCSEs and A level through working all through the year at revision and not just in study leave.

When it comes to writing notes I listen to any music that will keep my motivated, eg favourite singer, but when it comes to absorbing the information and learning it, I listen to mediation music and find it prevents me from getting distracted and I leave my phone outside the room.

I think exercise is extremely necessary after a few hours of revision as it allows the brain to relax, but then creates opportunity for the brain to be ready to work again, aiding retention of information while studying.

I also search videos on YouTube of each topic in biology and sociology and find the podcasts and animations extremely useful for visually storing the information as I am a visual learner and owe passing my maths GCSE to a website called Maths Watch!

A number of people being supported by Action Mental Health to help them fulfil their employability prospects are helping to mark today’s Europe-wide Job Shadow Day.

Action Mental Health sources and supports employment opportunities for clients, helping them avail of training and voluntary places, and today AMH clients will be joining in the event, shadowing employees across a host of industries.

Job Shadow Day highlights the positive contribution people with health conditions and disabilities can make to workforces and the economy.

The employment initiative was developed by the Irish Association of Supported Employment in 2008 and by 2017 over 800 job seekers participated across 500 employment sites, securing 55 permanent job placements as a direct result.

Since its establishment, Job Shadow Day has been adopted by a number of European countries, including Belgium, Finland, Hungary and Sweden. And last year France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands Portugal, Scotland and Slovenia joined the list of countries marking the day, known in Europe as DUO Day.

Our employability Clients are part of the Working it Out Project which is part-funded through the ESF programme 2014-2020 and the Department for the Economy.

A North West-based musician has donated the proceeds of a CD to mental health services on the both sides of the border in Ireland.

Gabby Fitzgerald, who is originally from Dublin, has kindly shared proceeds worth £1310 from his musical CD collection, Black Dog Island, equally, between Action Mental Health New Horizons Foyle and Mental Health Ireland.

This generous gift marks the first of several fundraising events with Gabby, who is a talented songwriter and traditional musician – playing the Uilleann pipes, guitar and the whistle.

Gabby comments: “In order to try to make the album interesting and strong I started out with 25 songs with the intention of dropping a few along the way, depending on how they were developing. “I decided to call the album ‘’Black Dog Island’’ – this song relating to the low time in my life, and the song also features on the album.”

We at Action Mental Health would like to thank Gabby, not only for the generous donation, but also for his music and that of the other musician who contributed to the album.

We look forward to our next joint venture with Gabby, and more details will be revealed in the coming months.