Musician Gabby Fitzgerald donates the proceeds of his CD to Action Mental Health’s Mickie Harkin, Service Manager of New Horizons Foyle.
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.
A client of Action Mental Health’s Workable programme has donated the proceeds of a fundraising drive to the charity, after her path to fitness mirrored her personal journey to mental well-being.
Sharon Scott raised over £700 by completing 5K in the Spar Omagh half marathon, along with her husband Allan.
Sharon wanted to give something back to the charity after experiencing a period of mental ill-health, and it was during her recovery that she undertook a placement with AMH’s Workable Programme. She decided to raise funds as a thank you – and a way to get fit at the same time.
She explained: “I took part in the event because as my mental health improved I felt I need my physical health to get better as well. I had but on a lot of weight during my worst times with my depression and anxiety and felt I was now in a better place to try and get in shape.
“I intend to keep up the running and I have already signed up to compete in another 5K in May. I wanted to raise the money for AMH because they helped me in my recovery, from the SES Workable NI programme and referring me to CMP.”
Since embarking on her fitness and fundraising drive she said she has been overwhelmed by the support she has received.
“I can’t believe how generous everyone has been,” she said.
Fashionistas are being invited to select the best spring look for 2018 at a special event at Victoria Square in Belfast next week in aid of Action Mental Health and a number of Northern Ireland’s other charities working in the field of mental health and well-being.
The Spring into Style event takes place at the shopping centre’s Spring Secret Garden this weekend, April 21 and 22 from 1-5pm.
Guests will get the chance to vote for their favourite mixes and matches of fresh fashion and hot trends being showcased by models, each displaying the finery from a different in-centre store. All you have to do is select your must-have look and vote – with the most popular look scooping a £1000 for the chosen charity of one of five local fashion bloggers and influencers.
Action Mental Health’s flag is being flown by Oh So Femme for River Island; Cathy Martin, supporting Cruse Bereavement, for House of Fraser; Katherin Farries, supporting Addiction NI, for Coast; All That’s Pretty for Aware NI, for their chosen store, LK Bennett; and Bella McKee, for Top Shop in support of PIPS.
The event will feature mini makeovers from beauty brands within House of Fraser; there will be samples and one lucky visitor will win a Victoria Square Spring Experience worth £500.
Another runner has signed up to run the Belfast City Marathon for Action Mental Health.
Personal trainer Lynne Troughton will run her first ever marathon and has chosen AMH as her benefactor, motivated by her passion for improving mental health through fitness.
Lynne works at the Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council-run Dromore Community, taking a number of fitness classes, while studying for a Foundation Degree in Counselling Studies at Southern Regional College in her spare time.
“This will be my first ever marathon and I’m pleased to be running it for Action Mental Health as this charity is close to my heart. Research shows exercise and can improve mental health. This is an area I am very passionate about, in supporting people. When I qualify I hope to start a Counselling Personal Training Programme,” she said.
“Currently one in five people are living with mental health issues including some family, friends and loved ones. I would be truly grateful if you will sponsor me running the Belfast Marathon so we can raise money together to help support people and their families who have mental health issues.”
The deadline to enter the Monday, May 7 event – whether running the full marathon, half marathon, relay, fun run, wheelchair or 8-mile walking event – is this Friday, April 13, so if your feet are itching to prove themselves get on it asap!
Vice Chair of New Life Counselling, Gabi Mornhinweg and Action Mental Health’s Chairman, Peter Fitzsimmons shake on the new relationship between the two organisations.
Action Mental Health and New Life Counselling have announced an exciting new partnership. From 1st April 2018, the two local charities have created a new Group Structure which will see the two well-known local organisations come together to provide a more integrated service for communities throughout Northern Ireland.
Both organisations have a history of working through partnerships to deliver better outcomes for their clients and this initiative builds on that experience and expertise within both charities.
The purpose of this initiative is to enhance effectiveness in meeting the needs of service users, clients and communities and ensure resources are focused to best effect so that they improve the long-term sustainability of both organisations and their services.
Under the agreement, New Life Counselling will become a subsidiary of Action Mental Health but it will continue to be a separate charitable company with its own name, board, contracts and employees.
The organisations will be actively engaged in a working process over the coming months and the existing Joint Working Group, made up of Board members from both organisations, will continue to lead and support the process of aligning the two organisations.
Both organisations rely heavily on the support and encouragement of all their stakeholders and as such will provide regular updates on any further developments.
This year, for the very first time, Action Mental Health is inviting you to host a Great Big Purple Picnicduring Mental Health Awareness Week.
Between 14th and 20th May 2018 we want everyone to get involved, to help raise awareness of positive mental health and also to raise vital funds to help support our work across Northern Ireland.
Most of all we want you to have a bit of fun while doing it.
We’re asking schools, businesses, community groups, families and friends to get their picnic hampers and blankets out and join in the fundraising fun. Download your fundraising & information pack below.
The Great Big Purple Picnic is one of the many initiatives organised by AMH to help raise awareness of positive mental health and also vital funds to help support our work across Northern Ireland.
The focus for the Great Big PurplePicnic is quite simply about giving people a way to improve their knowledge of positive mental health and also a way to improve their mental wellbeing.
By hosting your very own Great Big Purple Picnic you and your guests will be actively engaging in the Five Ways to Wellbeing: connecting with those around you; being active, by choosing one of Northern Ireland’s picturesque settings to host your picnic and combining it was a nice walk; taking notice, by just taking time out to enjoy the moment; keep learning, by thinking of healthy food options for your picnic to help maintain a healthy body for a healthy mind; and by giving the funds you raise to AMH which aims to change the lives of those living with mental ill-health and promote resilience and wellbeing to future generations.
All you have to do is to choose a date, a venue – indoors or outdoors, in the garden, at home, school or work – and then invite your friends to your Great Big Purple Picnic. But don’t forget to think purple: whether it’s purple bunting, purple picnic blankets, purple wigs or purple drinks, it’s up to you!
Download one of our fundraising & information packs (see below), it’s full of ideas and information on how to organise your Great Big Purple Picnic. In the packs you’ll find hints and tips as well as promotional materials such as posters to advertise your picnic, printedplacemats and purple bunting to use at your picnic and also materials to help you create your own collection boxes.
Be sure to get in touch and let us know what you have planned – simply fill in the registration form included in the pack and return it to us by emailing[email protected]. If you have any questions or queries, please do call us on 028 9182 8494.
(L-R) Hayley Millar , David Duly (project workers) & Pauline Flanagan, Services Manager, Northern Area Mental Health Initiative
A digital hub, centred on mental health education, support and information has been developed by the Northern Area Mental Health Initiative (‘The Initiative’).
The digital mental health hub was created to complement and reinforce the learning provided through The Initiative’s free awareness raising workshops.
The Northern Area Mental Health Initiative is an exciting project led by Cookstown and Western Shores Area Network (CWSAN), in partnership with Action Mental Health and Nexus NI. The Initiative offers free mental health awareness and resilience training, internet safety, sexual abuse and exploitation education to children and young people aged from 8 to 25 in schools, youth clubs and through key contacts such as teachers, youth group leaders and parents groups.
Research has shown that approximately 20% of young people in Northern Ireland are suffering significant mental health problems by the time they are 18[i] and rates of mental ill health are estimated to be 25% higher than in other parts of the UK[ii]. The hub will not only provide a range of resources and coping strategies for children and young people so that they can access help when they need it, but will also be a platform for young people to have their voice heard and impact on policy decisions.
The hub offers age appropriate platforms, through a bespoke website, for young people, their families and the professionals who support them. Each platform gives information on how to look after mental health & wellbeing, how to access local help when needed and provides a range of resources including tips and coping strategies. A wide range of local and national information on services across Northern Ireland with a particular focus for those living in the Northern Zone is also provided.
Additional digital tools are provided on the hub for young people to have their voice heard, take part in surveys, lobby local commissioners and policy makers, create youth quakes, build resilience walls and participate in innovative social media platforms to inform service development. Young people will also be able to hear from their peers how to cope with life’s ups and downs, on issues such as bullying, relationships, negative influences of social media, risks of online grooming/sexual exploitation, suicidal ideation, sexual orientation, and social instability.
Pauline Flanagan, Project Manager for The Initiative says
“I am delighted that we have been able to launch our website. It brings together a wide range of invaluable information around young people’s mental health and is designed to be a straightforward way for children, young people and those who support them to access information on mental health and other services in the local area. My vision is that it will become a central, go-to hub which young people, teachers, parents, professionals and decision makers can access for current information that they can rely on. We will continue to develop the hub by working alongside children, young people, professionals and partners so that the platform content continues to evolve based on local need, discussions, and with young people in mind”.
A spokesperson from the Executive Office said,
“The Northern Area Mental Health Initiative has received almost £1million funding from the Social Investment Fund under the Delivering Social Change framework to promote positive mental health and well-being, early intervention and pathways to appropriate support should mental health problems arise in 8 to 25 year olds. With the breadth of information out there for Children, Young People and their Key Contacts, it can be difficult for them to access appropriate information and resources for their target group. The Initiative’s website brings all that information into one online information hub and provides an important gateway for mental health and support. It is great to see how the Social Investment Fund projects are making a real difference for the better to the lives of children and young people.”
The Northern Area Mental Health Initiative website can be viewed here.
If you would like to book a workshop for your school or community group, visit the website, email [email protected] or call 028 9442
A client of Action Mental Health’s Workable programme has donated the proceeds of a fundraising drive to the charity, after her path to fitness mirrored her personal journey to mental well-being.
Fashionistas are being invited to select the best spring look for 2018 at a special event at Victoria Square in Belfast next week in aid of Action Mental Health and a number of Northern Ireland’s other charities working in the field of mental health and well-being.
Another runner has signed up to run the Belfast City Marathon for Action Mental Health.
Mental illness is a major public health issue in NI and is the single largest cause of ill health and disability.
This year, for the very first time, Action Mental Health is inviting you to host a 
Research has shown that approximately 20% of young people in Northern Ireland are suffering significant mental health problems by the time they are 18
A spokesperson from the Executive Office said,