A free seminar to heighten awareness of suicide prevention services as well as those which promote good mental health will take place at 7.30pm on Wednesday at Ballybane Enterprise Centre.
People are advised to pre-register for the event, which is being organised by the Corrib Lions Club, because places are limited. They can do so by contacting Ballybane Community Centre at (091 ) 386004 and leaving their name and contact number.
Representatives from community support groups such as the Jigsaw project, Aware, GROW and the Assist programme will explain about the different types of support they provide for young people on the night.
Paul Clabby will speak about GROW which provides “genuine friendship”. Its philosophy is that “friendship is the special key to mental health”. Grow facilitates meetings which allows people to share their difficulties and fears.
The Aware programme will be discussed by Mary O’Sullivan. Some 400,000 people in Ireland suffer from depression but many hide it and never get help. Sadly, more than 500 people take their own life each year. Aware, since its foundation in 1985, offers support to depression sufferers and their families. It also dispel the myths and misunderstandings associated with the condition.
The ASSIST programme, introduced by Ciaran Mullooly, helps people to choose life. “Suicide ‘first-aid’ helps meet some of the challenges in reducing suicide behaviour by helping people apply this principle in many settings with family, friends, co-workers and in more formal helping relationships. People can learn to be better prepared to recognise invitations to help, reach out and offer support, review the risk of suicide and work with persons at risk to develop their safe plan.”
The Jigsaw project, managed by John Fitzmorris, is an innovative new community-based network of supports that assist young people aged 15 to 25 years to achieve better mental health and wellbeing. Jigsaw recently opened a drop-in centre in Mary Street. It also aims to design and implement programmes, policies and practices so young people are better able to seek help and support in accessible settings where they feel respected and safe.
There are 116 Lions Clubs in Ireland with approximately 2,800 members. Members are local people who identify needs within the community and work together to fulfill these.
The Corrib Lions Club has 35 members and meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 8.30pm at the Maldron Hotel, Oranmore.
