Aoibhe’s new role

A NORTHSIDE student has been selected as a leader in a campaign to promote positive mental health.

Aoibhe Conway of St Mary’s Holy Faith Secondary School, Killester, was selected for the position at the annual Cycle Against Suicide Student Leader Ambassadors’ Retreat which took place at Kippure Estate, County Wicklow. 

The Retreat, now in its fifth year, recognises students for their exceptional contribution to the area of mental health. 

The aim of the Student Leader Ambassador Programme is to harness the immense leadership potential of these young adults, and empower them to bring the Cycle Against Suicide message, ‘It’s OK not to feel OK; and it’s absolutely OK to ask for help’, back to their schools and communities. 

The Student Leaders actively participate in all Cycle Against Suicide activities throughout the year.

Aoibhe and her fellow Student Leader Ambassadors from all over the island of Ireland gathered recently to participate in the wide range of workshops.

They included media skills, outdoor pursuits, team building, presentation skills and leadership training. 

As well as participating in workshops and presentations, students also collaborated to develop a theme for next year's Student Leaders' Congress, which will take place in Dublin in January 2019. 

School Principal Evelyn McLoughlin told Northside People: “It is a huge honour for St Mary’s Holy Faith Secondary School to have a student selected for such a prestigious and worthwhile programme at a national level. We are immensely proud of Aoibhe’s achievement.”

In 2017, St Mary’s Holy Faith Secondary School, Killester, was awarded the prestigious status of Ambassador School by Cycle Against Suicide in recognition of their fulfilment of the ‘Five Gears’ programme.

The programme is school-led and involves the completion of ‘Five Gears’ over the course of a year, all of which are aimed at raising awareness of the message that “It’s OK not to feel OK; and it’s absolutely OK to ask for help”.