Minding Your Mental Health
Initiated by the HSE Connecting for Life Team in South East Community Healthcare, this signage initiative highlights ways that you can mind your mental health and promotes the HSE funded services available if you need to access support. The signage was developed in collaboration with Healthy Waterford, Mental Health Ireland and the Waterford GAA Health and Wellbeing Committee.
Speaking of the initiative, Agnes McDermott, of Waterford GAA Health and Wellbeing Committee explained that each of the fifty-one clubs across Waterford City and County will receive a sign with clear mental health messaging and information on the key supports available. The signage will also be displayed in the two county grounds, Walsh Park in the city and the Fraher Field in Dungarvan as well as in the SETU Sports Arena at Carriganore.
Gina Delaney of Mental Health Ireland explains that the signage provides details of the Five Ways to Wellbeing which are five simple actions we can practice each day to maintain or improve our mental health and wellbeing. Having the signage in GAA Clubs across the county, will act as a visible reminder to all and will have a broader impact on community wellbeing.
Tracy Nugent of the HSE Regional Suicide Resource Office and lead for Connecting for Life (the HSE Suicide Prevention Strategy) emphasises the importance of including the steps for accessing support and the key 24/7 services. These services are there whenever they are needed, day or night, and so they are the relevant ones for people to know. Where appropriate these national services signpost to local services and are often the first port of call for someone in distress.
Eoin Morrissey, Healthy Waterford Coordinator in Waterford City and County Council says that this is not just a sign in each GAA Club, it is a mental wellbeing conversation starter and a symbol of a greater openness around the importance of looking after our mental health.
Signs will be distributed to the Waterford GAA Clubs over the coming weeks. This initiative was jointly funded by the HSE under Connecting for Life and by Healthy Waterford under Waterford City and County Council.
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Pictured at the SETU Arena for the launch of the Minding Your Mental Health signage initiative, a collaboration between HSE Connecting for Life in South East Community Healthcare, Healthy Waterford under
Waterford City and County Council, Mental Health Ireland and Waterford GAA were:
1. Eoin Morrissey, Healthy Waterford Coordinator; Agnes McDermott, Health and Wellbeing Officer, Waterford GAA; Sean McCarthy, Waterford GAA Health Wellbeing Committee; Tadhg de Búrca, Waterford Senior Hurler; JJ Taylor, Waterford City and County Council; John Hanlon, Brickey Rangers GAA, Healthy Club Officer and Samaritans, Waterford & South East; Davy Fitzgerald, Waterford Senior Hurling Manager; Ger Fogarty and Jamie Barron, Waterford Senior Hurling Team; Tish Holton, Autism Friendly Waterford; Tracy Nugent, HSE Connecting for Life; and Michelle Murtagh, Mount Sion GAA Healthy Club Officer.
2. Eoin Morrissey, Agnes McDermott, Tadhg de Búrca, Tracy Nugent, Jamie Barron and Davy Fitzgerald
3. John Hanlon, Tadhg de Búrca, Jamie Barron and Davy Fitzgerald.
