World Mental Health Day celebrated in style!

What a week it has been! We thought we would capture just some of the activities our staff, clients, partners and supporters got up to! Despite the restrictions, enthusiasm to mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October was as high as ever –

Action Mental Health’s Projects & Services

Our team from the Our Generation project got together on Friday to celebrate with a coffee over zoom. The team are spread throughout Northern Ireland and have been out and about in schools with AMH’s Healthy Me programme.

Staff & clients from AMH New Horizons Belfast also got together for a ‘Cup of Kindness’ to celebrate via Zoom. Whilst enjoying a morning cuppa they reflected on the acts of kindness that have had a positive impact on their mental health during these challenging times

On the run up to World Mental Health Day Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Kevin Savage and Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Kyle Savage visited the AMH Garden Nursery at Tannaghmore Gardens and received some gardening tips from, John Sim, Skills Coach, Colin Loughran, Service Manager and John Walsh, Skills Coach!

The Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Jim Montgomery launched ‘The Art of Recovery’ exhibition at the Conservatory Gallery at Antrim Castle Gardens as part of the World Mental Health Day celebrations
 
This exhibition is a showcase of works by artists from AMH New Horizons, Antrim and will run daily until Thursday 29 October.

AMH Works took part in The Law Society’s Well-being Day, and AMH trainer Connor Grogan, along with LawCare, gave a talk entitiled – “Managing Stress and Building Resilience through Uncertain Times”. There was very positive feedback including moe solicitor who said “I found the talks helpful given the current climate.  I also found the colour code/traffic light system details informative and a useful check on how work pressures have affected mental wellbeing in more recent months”.

AMH MensSana were out and about in schools and colleges delivering Healthy Me, Provoking Thought and also offering on-line sessions of the PHA funded Mindset, Healthy Me for school staff and Mindful Manager.

Patricia Kelly Service Manager – Workable and Shelly Wilson AMH Works manager took part in the Northern Regional College’s Webinar ‘Mental Health Wellbeing in the Workplace During C-19 Pandemic’

We were delighted to have over 75 people join our AMH Works Mental Health First Aid seminar. Thanks to all for attending. Special thanks to our speakers from PHA, Queen’s University, Belfast City Council, Caterpillar NI & Collins Aerospace.

---

AMH on the campaign trail and sharing expertise

Our Chief Executive was also kept busy this week! David Babington, got together via zoom with some of our local MLAs – Sinn Féin’s Órlaithí Flynn, Robbie Butler of the Ulster Unionist Party, Paula Bradshaw of the Alliance Party and the SDLP’s Cara Hunter, to talk about mental health services, recent developments and their hopes for sector. You can watch all the videos here.

David also joined Prof Deirdre Heenan, Paula Bradley MLA, Colm Gildernew MLA, Prof Gerry Lynch, Dr Alan Stout and others to discuss health and social cares services in NI

David then delivered a presentation on Innovation and the Third Sector at the Menhir International Doctoral School! AMH is one of the partners in this exciting project. Read more about it here.

David, Amanda Jones and Jonny Smyth also got together with the Minister for Education Peter Weir MLA to update him our resilience programmes in schools and our plans for their development within Education sector. Following the meeting the minister tweeted “I am committed to do all I can to support emotional well-being & resilience across our sector”.

---

Fundraising & raising awareness

AMH Lisburn’s Sinead McCarry completed the Virtual London Marathon in the rain, cheered on by her family – well done Sinead!

Unfortunately our annual Granite Challenge had to be cancelled this year but we challenged all our GC cyclists of all ages and skill levels to clock up as many kilometres as they could in the week of World Mental Health Day, our DIY Granite Challenge was 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 answered the call including Mark Kinkaid from AMH New Horizons Lisburn.

A team from the Datactics Runners and Riders club took part in the DIY Granite Challenge, racking up a total of 338 miles in support of @amhNI! The team included Matthew Flenley, Kieran Buchanan, Marcus Lamb, and David Brown.

Thanks to all the cyclists who joined in the DIY Granite Challenge – we hope to see you at the top of Spelga next year!

At the start of the week 15 fearless fundraisers descended the iconic Belfast Castle in some typically Northern Irish conditions! The weather did not dampen the spirits of those taking part and we thank all our wonderful participants and Bryson LaganSports for holding a safe and highly enjoyable event.

Board Member Roisin Kelly got the whole family involved! The Kelly’s were busy all week having fun, raising awareness and vital funds. Roisin completed the Belfast Castle Abseil and the family also took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge bbbrrrrr!

Mash Direct will be fundraising throughout the month of October for AMH.

To support World Mental Health Day and AMH, all the employees of local paving and walling manufacturer Tobermore – production & working from home – joined together in a ‘Wear your hat to work day!’

Our corporate partner Team CTS joined in our Go Purple campaign, raising awareness & money for AMH

Corporate partners Outsource were encouraging everyone to join them on World Mental Health Day to wear purple to raise awareness that mental health is as important as physical health

We were so grateful that to the council’s and organisations who answered our call to #GOPURPLE

Ulster University’s Magee Campus got behind this year’s #GOPURPLE campaign and supported the global call – ‘Mental Health For All – Greater Investment, Greater Access’.

Thanks to Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council who turned the Lagan Valley Island Centre purple

Thanks to Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council who turned the Antrim Civic centre purple

---

Thanks to everyone who supported us this year!