Declan McCaffrey
AS many people as possible are being urged to attend a suicide prevention talk in Belleek in March.
Organised by Erne Gaels GAA Club, as part of their bumper Health and Wellbeing 2016 Programme, the ‘SafeTALK’ is an internationally recognised training session that helps expand the reach of suicide intervention skills into the wider community.
Club chairman Declan McCaffery said the cross-border, cross-community event was absolutely free and urged parents, coaches, community groups, volunteers and anyone who feels they could benefit from the training to attend the event, which will be hosted with assistance from Davina Coulter from the Oak Healthy Living Centre.
“There’s still a lot of stigma about mental health issues out there,” said Mr McCaffery. “Breaking down that stigma is a big thing, especially among males.
It’s an issue that needs to be dealt with.”
Mr McCaffery said the subject of mental well-being was particularly personal for him, and for others at the club, adding a lot of thinking and passion had gone into the plans for the club’s Health and Wellbeing 2016 Programme.
Erne Gaels health and well-being officer Ciara Hughes agreed, explaining that she had battled depression herself and had found great help through similar talks.
“Suicide is still a very taboo subject,” said Ms Hughes, who advocates mindfulness. “Especially among young men, who are in the spotlight.
They often feel they have no where to go, and that they can’t talk about it. It’s not just young people, either. A lot of the elderly, for example, suffer from depression and isolation.”
Ms Hughes also encouraged anyone across Fermanagh who felt they could benefit from the talk to attend: “The wider variety of people who come, the more people we can reach in the community. It’s open to absolutely everyone.”
Other upcoming events in the Erne Gaels’ health and well-being programme include a smoking cessation event in March, assisted by Cancer Focus NI and a local pharmacy; a visit from the Action Cancer bus in April; a diabetes awareness session for community groups, coaches and volunteers in May; a special needs and autism awareness session in June; and a organ donation and blood donation session, also in June.
For more details on any of the events, or to books a place at the suicide SafeTALK, contact Ms Hughes on 686 58647 or Mr McCaffery on declan.mccaffrey@gmx.com. Alternatively contact the Erne Gaels Facebook page.
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