Lloyds Banking Group has raised over £3,000 for Action Mental Health (AMH), to help educate school children about the importance of positive well-being and looking after their mental health.

The year-long partnership concluded with a grand total of £3,716.65 being donated towards AMH. The funds were raised through various charitable events and initiatives including a country western dance evening, a 55 mile ‘Granite Challenge’ cycle, a number of dress-down Fridays, and prize raffles.

Oonagh Cochrane, Monitoring and Verification Assessor of Lloyds Banking Group, said:

“Lloyds Banking Group strives to promote the mental well-being of its employees by encouraging an inclusive and communicative working environment, where everyone feels supported, valued and appreciated.

“We therefore selected AMH as our charity of the year as they embody our passion for opening up the lines of communication about mental ill-health and fight against the stigmatisation of those who are going through it.

“We have thoroughly enjoyed working in partnership with AMH over the last year and are thrilled to be donating towards such a worthy and important cause.”

Research has shown that one in four adults in Northern Ireland will show signs of mental ill-health, with the prevalence of it being 25% higher here than in England.

The funds raised by Lloyds Banking Group, including a match funding donation of £1,385 will go towards Action Mental Health’s Healthy Me project which promotes social and emotional well-being in children through prevention and self-help.

Fundraising and Events Officer, Callum Clark said:

“We are hugely grateful to Lloyds Banking Group for helping us equip the youngest members of society with the knowledge needed to nurture their mental well-being and invest in their emotional and cognitive development through our Healthy Me programme.

“We cannot thank the members of Lloyds Banking Group enough for donating their time and money to Action Mental Health over the course of the last year and to Oonagh for choosing us as their charity.”

 

A huge thank you to a local Weight Watchers Group in Lisburn which raised an incredible £740 for AMH.

The proceeds – which were collected through individual donations – will go towards supporting the resilience and recovery of the 1 in 4 people in Northern Ireland who are affected by mental ill-health.

Pictured (L-R) receiving the cheque is Carolann Mc Cord (Weight Watchers), Callum Clark (Action Mental Health) and Bernie Walsh (Weight Watchers).

A two year partnership between Belfast International Airport and Action Mental Health has concluded with over £16,000 raised to help increase awareness of mental ill-health in Northern Ireland.

 

Funds collected during the charity partnership, the first of its kind for Belfast International, will go towards helping people recover from mental illness in Northern Ireland and raise awareness of the symptoms.

 

Praising Belfast International Airport on its achievement, Chief Executive of AMH, David Babington said:

 

“We are extremely proud to have been selected as the very first charity partner of Belfast International Airport and are delighted with its unprecedented success.

 

“The money raised will further our efforts in reducing stigmatisation within the local community and transform the lives of those living with mental ill-health, as well as promoting resilience and well-being to future generations.”

 

During the two year partnership, Belfast International Airport employees collectively organised a series of fun-filled fundraisers for both customers and staff, including a VIP discounted Christmas shopping event, coffee mornings, and pilates taster sessions. In addition, Belfast International Airport kicked of the partnership with a substantial donation of £10,000.

 

David Babington continued:

 

“It’s hugely encouraging to know that such a prominent organisation such as Belfast International Airport has led the way in terms of raising awareness of mental ill-health both inside and outside of the workplace.

“It has been thoroughly enjoyable working with the entire team and we cannot thank them enough for their support.”

 

Action Mental Health operates in nine locations across Northern Ireland and supports more than 2,000 clients each year by delivering a variety of life-changing courses to the local community.

 

Programmes are specifically designed to assist individuals with mental ill-health in the recovery process by encouraging them to adopt a healthier lifestyle and widen their social networks. AMH also provide clients with the skills to build a better future, set personal goals, develop coping skills, re-engage with society and become more employable.

 

Managing Director of Belfast International Airport, Graham Keddie said:

 

“Belfast International Airport is extremely passionate about giving back to the local community, which is why we have a number of charitable initiatives in place to help fund a catalogue of worthy causes such as Action Mental Health.

 

“The topic of mental health is something which has touched most people’s lives in Northern Ireland, whether it’s through a friend or loved one. So with that said, we endeavoured to raise as much funds as possible for AMH so they can carry out their fantastic work and support those in need.”

 

 

 

Following Action Mental Health’s research report (on mental health service provision in NI), entitled ‘Regress? React? Resolve?’ AMH is hosting Northern Ireland’s first ever Mental Health Summit.

 

Taking place at the Stormont Hotel on 24th February, the event will bring together all of Northern Ireland’s Mental Health stakeholders including the DHSSPSNI, the Health Trusts, the Board, Voluntary Community Sector and service users.

 

In a bid to protect the future of mental health services in Northern Ireland, AMH will use the summit to encourage the NI Executive to take essential and urgent action.

 

Reflecting on the funding increases of £1 billion in England and £54 million in Scotland for mental health provisions, Chief Executive of AMH, David Babington said:

 

“The news that David Cameron and Nicola Sturgeon have taken the initiative to open up more resources for mental health services in England and Scotland stands in stark contrast to Northern Ireland.

 

“This further highlights the urgency for similar leadership and commitment from the NI Executive to address the sustained deficiencies in our services, which is putting the health of clients at risk.”

 

Research has shown that despite mental illness being 25% more common in Northern Ireland than in England, with a higher rate of suicide than anywhere else in the UK, there has been a shocking underspend of 26% in mental health support in the last six years.

 

Mr Babington continued:

 

“Our recent research entitled ‘Regress, React, Resolve’, shows the need to improve funding, address problems with fragmentation in service provision, provide greater focus on education, tackle stigma, and provide leadership for mental health in Northern Ireland.

 

“Mental health services here are at a major crossroads and there is a real danger that any gains made in recent years may be reversed by lack of commitment and resources.

 

“That’s why we are hosting Northern Ireland’s first ever Mental Health Summit to bring together MLAs, commissioners, charity CEOs, and service users, to collectively discuss how we can improve the Departmental Health Strategy going forward.

 

“The summit also presents the opportunity for service users to have a say in how the challenges facing mental health facilities have impacted their wellbeing and recovery, which can often have devastating results.”

 

In addition to Mr Babington’s comments, an Action Mental Health service user said:

 

“Being diagnosed with a mental illness is overwhelming and disorientating in any case, but when you don’t receive the right support and advice you feel even more closed off from society. It’s like being stuck in a black pit without someone reaching down to help you out.

 

“Due to the continued stigma attached to mental illness, too many people choose to turn a blind eye to someone who is living through it, which can often exacerbate a person’s condition.

 

“The hard reality is, mental ill-health doesn’t just affect your emotional state, but your personal life, career, and social interactions too. Mental illness can and will strip a person of their identity unless the right support networks are in place to help them through their problems and redefine who they are as a person.

 

“Services like AMH are vital in the recovery process for many users like myself, as they help to break down the walls of social stigmatisation through training, education and employment.

 

“When it comes to healthcare, actions speak louder than words, so it’s time the NI Executive followed their UK counterparts by investing in the future of mental health provision in Northern Ireland so that standards of care can improve.”

 

Special guests at the Mental Health Summit will include Natasha Devon MBE (Mental Health Champion for schools in England), leading political figures, and a range of key players from across the health sector in Northern Ireland.

 

Following the launch of the Regress, React, Resolve report, AMH will discuss several recommendations at the summit for local government to action, including:

• Government funding needs to be made available to improve mental health services in Northern Ireland and protected against budget cuts in the future.
• The DHSSPS and HSC need to establish a regional working group to examine the extent and impact of provision fragmentation and encourage greater integration between different services.
• An independent Mental Health Champion for NI needs to be established in order to defend the rights and interests of people living with mental illness and renew the Bamford vision.

Congratulations to all our clients from the New Horizons service in Foyle, who each received their well deserved certificates of achievement on Thursday 28th January. Several clients received special recognition for their contribution in speaking publicly about their journey through illness to recovery.

The event was officiated by Lord Mayor  Elisha McCallion, also in attendance where : WHSCT Assistant Director Amanda McFadden, WRAPP Manager Nuala Campbell, Andy Hall – BIG Lottery Impact of Alcohol Programme Manager. Special guest included some old friends from years gone by, clients, health professionals, employers and community partners, also in the audience showing her support was Foyles’ most famous business women and mindfulness coach  Brenda Shankey.

Well done everyone and we hope you all enjoyed the day as much as we did!

 

This Christmas, we have joined forces with local public figures and health authorities to launch a digital campaign that urges aspiring party leaders to address the mounting challenges facing mental health facilities in Northern Ireland.

The social media campaign, entitled ’12 Christmas Wishes’, involves a series of video messages from local personalities, MLAs, academics, health professionals and service users, who each make a wish for better support and acceptance of people living with a mental health condition.

Following our “Regress, React, Resolve” research, which documented an underspend of 26% in mental health services between 2008 and 2014, the campaign highlights the imbalance within current funding structures which is jeopardising the wellbeing and social integration of mental health patients.

Chief Executive of AMH, David Babington said:

“Looking towards the Northern Ireland Assembly Elections in May 2016, we are asking on behalf of our clients, their families, our staff, and the voluntary sector, that the new Assembly and Executive commit to resolving the challenges facing mental health services in Northern Ireland.

“Each day from the 11th until 22^nd December, we will be sending out a Christmas Wish via social media based on the key recommendations created by our Research report.

“It’s hugely important for people to understand that those living with a mental condition are not simply problems to be managed, but are individuals in their own right and are often in desperate need of help.

“Whilst we recognise there are huge financial pressures on the local government, it is no excuse to treat mental health provision as the Cinderella service of the NHS, with patients paying the ultimate price in regards to the decline of their health due to lack of fundamental resources.

“Our ‘12 Christmas Wishes’ therefore seeks to redress the balance between physical and mental health support, which we hope will motivate the government to not only stand up and listen, but take action by resolving current struggles.”

Previous studies have shown that Northern Ireland has some of the poorest mental health ratings in the UK and Ireland, with an estimated one in five people here suffering from a mental health illness in their lifetime (Public Health Agency, 2014).

In addition, participants in our most recent study expressed feelings of increased social isolation, stigmatisation, and frustration with the current system, due to lack of understanding and investment in resources, education and professional training.

Prominent businesswoman and mental health advocate, Brenda Shankey is one of the key speakers involved in this year’s 12 Christmas Wishes. When asked why she wanted to take part, she said:

“I support Action Mental Health’s Christmas Wishes Campaign because it’s a charity that lies close to my heart.

“I deeply admire what AMH is trying to achieve in regards to building a better future for those under the care of mental health services by drawing the public’s attention to such an important issue.

“Despite how common it is, mental health is sadly overlooked so often due to the social stigma attached to it, which I find completely incomprehensible. Although we have come a long way in terms of educating people on what mental illness is, a lot more needs to be done to increase awareness and support for clients and indeed society in general.

“If you have a broken leg you get it fixed, but because we can’t see a mental illness it’s more difficult to recognise – yet I feel it’s a growing problem and more help is needed for diagnosis and treatment solutions.

“So with that said, my Christmas wish is to encourage more government funding for solutions to an ever increasing problem.”

Taking place from 11th – 22nd December, you can follow our 12 Christmas Wishes campaign by following @AMHNI and using the hashtag #12ChristmasWishes.

Alternatively you can access the videos via facebook.com/amhni or www.amh.org.uk

On Friday 23rd October, The AMH Comms Team and Turley PR and Public Affairs won Best Integrated Campaign for our ‪#‎12cutsofchristmas campaign at the CIPR PRide Awards in the Culloden Hotel.

The calibre of candidates was extremely high, so it is a huge achievement for a small in-house team in the voluntary sector like ours, to win against the big agencies in such a competitive market. Well done team!

Pictured Tricia Browne Communications Manager and Callum Clark Events Officer.