Students tune in to positive mental health event

STUDENTS from a number of Northside schools travelled across the Liffey recently to take part in a major event to promote positive mental health.

St Mary’s Holy Faith Secondary School, Killester, Pobalscoil Neasain Baldoyle, Donahies Community School, Manor House Raheny and Holy Faith Clontarf were among the local schools represented at the Cycle Against Suicide Student Leaders’ Congress held in the RDS.

The event, which attracted some 4,000 students, was part of Cycle Against Suicide’s ongoing efforts to convey its core message that it’s okay not to feel okay and it’s absolutely okay to ask for help. Cycle Against Suicide partnered with ReachOut.com for the congress.

The programme featured a wide variety of events, each with the purpose of promoting positive mental health practices.

High profile Cycle Against Suicide ambassadors and expert guests spoke about various approaches to maintaining good mental health.

Heathers and the Dublin Gospel Choir provided entertainment, and RTE 2FM broadcasted.

Carla Hickey and Nicola Maye, students at St Mary’s Holy Faith Secondary School, Killester, had the privilege of performing their own composition at the opening for a live broadcast on RTE’s Morning Edition programme, alongside some of Ireland’s greatest musicians.

Cycle Against Suicide founder Jim Breen said it was an obvious decision to have a schools’ event.

“Through the two weeks of the 2013 Cycle Against Suicide, we gave 28 presentations in schools, colleges and universities all around Ireland,

? said Mr Breen.

“Young people are hugely responsive to the message we are trying to convey and it’s vitally important that they hear it and know that it’s okay not to feel okay and it’s absolutely okay to ask for help.

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