OUR Generation is thrilled to launch The Weather Catcher, a children’s storybook created by local school pupils.

On Love your Library Day, pupils from Glencraig Integrated Primary School and Holywood Primary School came together for a special event to launch The Weather Catcher, an original storybook they co-designed which explores feelings and emotions. The launch, which took place at Holywood Library as part of Book Week NI, and was attended by children and teachers from both schools.

Ellan brought their visions to life, drawing upon the children’s vibrant artwork and ideas, creating and illustrating a story that authentically reflects the experiences and perspectives of young people.

The story uses weather as a powerful metaphor for emotions, to help children understand that feelings, like the weather, can change from day to day. Through the story of Robin, young readers are encouraged to recognise, understand, and express their emotions while learning that all feelings are natural and important.

He added: “This beautifully illustrated work will provide a lasting legacy of the OUR Generation Project. It is a wonderful resource that will be used to help children and young people develop emotional literacy, become more aware of their thoughts and feelings and help them to build emotional resilience.”

The Weather Catcher is a celebration of children’s creativity, insight, and imagination, demonstrating the value of listening to young people and empowering them to create resources that support the wellbeing of their peers.

The following mental health recovery and employability testimonial has come from a client that attended our SkillSET programme at Action Mental Health Downpatrick.

“Since leaving employment, I became extremely anxious and stressed about applying for work. I had little computer experience and was unsure how to apply online for a job, hindering mental health recovery. My sleep pattern was bad, and I was constantly worrying about my situation.

I contacted a social worker in my local GP Surgery, and she listened to my concerns and suggested that I may benefit from the Action Mental Health Employment SkillSET Programme.”

“An appointment was arranged, and I met with Stephanie, the Employment Officer, who quickly put me at ease. She listened to my concerns and was easy to talk to. This support aided my mental health recovery. Stephanie showed me how to research and apply for jobs online, and soon I had my interview lined up.

I was worrying about the interview, but Stephanie quickly assured me that I would be fine and gave me some hints and tips on types of questions, what to wear and any guidance.  She set up a room in New Horizons for my zoom interview, given that I had no IT skills.  I felt that Stephanie removed a lot of my anxiety as I knew I had support on the day. 

Well, to my surprise, I was offered a job. Stephanie was able to show me how to carry out my mandatory training online, which was needed as part of my initial induction.”

“During my days off I was also able to avail of an OCN Level 2 Customer Service course, which has been very useful in my role.

I would like to say that without the Action Mental Health Downpatrick team I would not be where I am. I am in a job I enjoy, and this has positively affected my mental health recovery. My confidence has grown, and I now have a job that fits my work‑life balance.

If anyone is reading this story, please avail of the services of Action Mental Health, particularly if you are faced with the daunting tasks of researching, applying and retaining paid work. Without this I would not be where I am today. 

I feel very lucky and grateful to have been given this support and guidance, and this was all down to the team in Downpatrick and support from Action Mental Health.”

Bangor’s Clandeboye Lodge has launched the third year of its partnership with Action Mental Health, inviting guests to prioritise their well-being while helping fund vital mental health services across Northern Ireland. Returning as part of World Mental Health Day, the hotel is running their ‘Give yourself a break’ campaign.

The campaign donates £10 to Action Mental Health for each eligible stay booked directly via the Clandeboye Lodge site. Stays must be booked between 10 October and 31 December 2026.

The initiative continues to grow in impact, having raised £2,000 for Action Mental Health in 2025, helping Action Mental Health to support minds and change lives across Northern Ireland.

However, the campaign comes at a time when demand for mental health support remains significant. According to the latest Health Survey Northern Ireland, 38% of adults reported concerns about their mental health in 2024/25. This is an increase from 32% in 2022/23.

Each year, Action Mental Health positively impacts the lives of more than 25,000 people through a range of services including counselling, recovery and employability programmes, school-based initiatives and community outreach. Through the Give Yourself a Break campaign, every qualifying stay helps contribute to this essential work, with a £10 donation able to provide arts and crafts materials for a child’s play therapy session.

Prioritising Well-being While Giving Back

Additionally, prioritising well-being while giving back underscores a commitment to both.

Nestled in a tranquil woodland setting just outside Bangor, Clandeboye Lodge is encouraging guests to take time away from the demands of everyday life and focus on rest, relaxation and self-care.

Ian Smith, General Manager at Clandeboye Lodge, said:

“World Mental Health Day is an opportunity to pause, consider our own well-being and recognise the organisations providing professional support when it is needed.

“At Clandeboye Lodge, our tranquil woodland setting, warm hospitality and relaxed atmosphere offer guests a place to step away from the everyday and enjoy some well-earned time for themselves.

“Give Yourself a Break connects that experience with an opportunity to give back. We’re proud to bring the campaign back for a third year and continue supporting Action Mental Health’s important work across Northern Ireland.”

Jane Robertson, Fundraising and Engagement Coordinator at Action Mental Health, welcomed the continued partnership:

“Action Mental Health greatly appreciates the ongoing support of Clandeboye Lodge through its seasonal Give Yourself a Break campaign. The campaign not only raises awareness of our mental health services but also encourages people to recognise the importance of rest and a good night’s sleep for their mental well-being.

“Every business that highlights our work and every individual who supports us helps Action Mental Health positively impact the lives of 25,000 people across Northern Ireland each year. Together, this support makes a meaningful difference to people in local communities.”

Enjoy an Autumn Escape

To learn more and explore eligible room packages, visit www.clandeboyelodge.com/give-yourself-a-break

Action Mental Health’s services have been busy providing mental health support this summer, and having some fun in the process.

The ‘Art of Recovery’ Photo Exhibition

On Monday 1 June, clients from Newtownards and Antrim came together to celebrate the launch of their joint art exhibition, the ‘Art of Recovery’.

Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick, the Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, opened the Flax Gallery exhibition in Mossley Mill on her last day in office.

The exhibition ran until the end of June. All profits raised from the artwork support our local Action Mental Health services.

Get ready for Summer Event!

Our Lisburn service hosted a fantastic series of events, helping service users focus on well being, activity, connection, and planning for the months ahead.

Well-being. Participants took part in confidence and well being workshops, mindfulness and relaxation sessions, and self-care activities while collecting stamps in their well-being Passports. Everyone created their own Summer Vision Board and Bucket List, exploring their goals and identifying ways to overcome any barriers to achieving them.

Movement and Fun. The focus shifted to staying active with a range of challenges, including boccia target practice, bean bag toss, an egg relay race, balloon volleyball, and the exciting Tower of Tension challenge, where some participants truly excelled!

Discovery and Connection. Service users strengthened their communication skills through interactive sessions, enjoyed a creative activity, and revisited the 5 Ways to well-being, reinforcing positive habits for health and happiness.

We wrapped up by reviewing the Summer Bucket Lists and the plans that have put in place to help turn the goals into reality. The events concluded with a special presentation to celebrate those who successfully completed their well-being Passports.

Downpatrick Summer Party

Action Mental Health Downpatrick hosted a fantastic summer party at the end of July. There was plenty of friendly competition from welly wanging, giant bubble blowing, music and a BBQ to finish the day.

A huge thanks to Seana Kelsall for providing the music and Marcella from Community Tribal Drummers for the expert level giant bubble blowing. Both generously gave up their free time to provide us with first class entertainment.  Finally thank you to Linda – Community Champion from ASDA Downpatrick for providing fitting prizes for our welly wanging winners!

Are you passionate about mental health and wellbeing?

We’re looking for young people aged 15-25 to join Action Mental Health’s youth panel. Help us to raise awareness, create positive change and be a voice for young people across Northern Ireland.

We’d love to hear from you!

Tension and stress might be high for many heading back to school. If your child or loved one is feeling apprehensive about going back to school after Summer, consider the Seven Cs to help them rally the storm.

1. Conversation: talk about the return to school. Acknowledge any concerns or worries they may have but don’t forget to highlight the positives. Emotions are complex and giving your child a safe space to talk is important.
2. Connection: hold hands and hug your child and remember that their connection with you is the most important factor in the successful return to school. And just as friendships are crucial for everyone, children will thrive with the social interaction and play with their friends.
3. Calm: try to be a model of calm for your children. They are like sponges and look to the adults in their lives to learn how to respond to difficulties, so if you feel anxious you need to deal with that, whether by working on self-care, like meditation, exercise, or other healthy means of finding your own calm.
4. Coping: feeling worried, nervous and frightened from time to time is entirely normal and you can help your child overcome their fears by relaying a time when you felt the same way and how you overcame it. You can use your example as an opportunity to talk about coping strategies, like hobbies, breathing exercises, getting out into nature and exercising. Action Mental Health’s Schools & Community teams also promote useful methods to help children cope, like Grounding Techniques. Find out more about our programmes here.
5. Changes: when you consider everything that might change for your child at school, it’s useful to help your child write a list, to help prepare them for what lies ahead, including changes to the usual school day due to the continuing pandemic, like more handwashing; new routes and signs to allow children to observe social distancing; staggered arrival, departure and break times; changes to PE and games routines, plus increased outdoor learning.
6. Check in and monitor progress: without incessantly asking your child ‘how was your day?’ Instead, asking things like ‘tell me three good things that happened today’ while you are carrying out an activity is a great way of helping your child to open up.  
7. Celebrate success: praising successful coping strategies and behaviours is so important and leads to more of the same.

Find out more about our mental health and wellbeing programmes in school’s and communities, or other services available for children and young people.

For the second year running, Action Mental Health has triumphed at this year’s CIPR Pride awards by winning Gold in the coveted Healthcare and Public Affairs categories for its ambitious Regress, React, Resolve campaign.

Competing against some of Northern Ireland’s leading communications agencies, judges praised the widespread media attention AMH received for Regress, React, Resolve, which skilfully challenged Government to tackle underinvestment and fragmentation of mental health services in Northern Ireland.

As a direct result, the Northern Ireland Executive has pledged to improve mental health provision in the forthcoming Programme for Government, which has been hailed a milestone achievement by clients, organisations and healthcare professionals alike.

Chief Executive of Action Mental Health, David Babington said:

“We are honoured to be recognised by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations for our efforts in driving the mental health agenda forward and ring fencing government funding for support services in Northern Ireland.

“We are proud to have been shortlisted amongst some of the largest and most successful communications agencies across the province and humbled to have been awarded first place in two categories. This serves as a testament to the talented and resourceful communications team we have in Action Mental Health, who I personally would like to thank for making this campaign a huge success through their hard work, dedication and creativity.”

 

Translink has announced Action Mental Health (AMH) as its new Charity Partner for the next three years. The local charity works to raise awareness of mental health and supports the many people affected right across Northern Ireland.

With one in four adults in Northern Ireland showing signs of mental illness at some stage in their lives and psychiatric support services facing funding challenges, this new partnership will be an opportunity to make a positive difference to the lives of many people at a local level.

Announcing the new partnership, Translink’s Group Chief Executive Chris Conway said:

“Translink has a long history of supporting local charities up and down the country. We are delighted to now partner with Action Mental Health as our Corporate Charity who were nominated and selected by our employees.  Mental health is so important at every stage in life from childhood right through to adulthood and we look forward to developing this partnership.

“This is also a great fit to help us promote all the benefits of ‘active travel’ such as giving people regular physical exercise and more ‘me’ time with a walk to their local bus stop or train station as well as more time to socialise and connect with others on board our services – all positive ways to support your own mental wellbeing.

“I have been so proud of our staff in recent years who make a huge effort to get behind our chosen charity.  As a major employer and by working together our efforts can make a big difference for the benefit of others.   We already have an exciting calendar of events being planned with fundraising going towards the AMH – ‘Healthy Me’ Programme aimed at local primary school children to positively promote mental health, social and emotional wellbeing.

“Over £30,000 was raised in three years for our previous charity partner which is fantastic and I would encourage our staff and customers to get behind our new Action Mental Health partnership.”

In the last 5 years Translink employees have raised over £200k for a range of local charities across NI.

Action Mental Health’s Chief Executive David Babington commented on being appointed Translink’s Charity Partner:

“Action Mental Health is delighted to be chosen by Translink employees as their new charity partner. There are many people in Northern Ireland who have a mental illness or know someone impacted by it, so it’s fantastic to know that with the help of Translink’s staff and passengers we can raise the awareness of this serious issue even further and reach out to those who need our help most.”