Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention

 

St John’s GAC secretary, Kevin McGlynn, invites you to join him for the St John’s Mountain Marathon on Saturday 1 June to raise awareness of Mental Health issues and to help prevent suicide, and then back to the club for an evening of traditional music and craic.

 

The first and last miles will be around our own Highway to Health at the club (http://www.walkni.com/walks/2533/highway-to-health-at-st-john-s-gac/); the 24 miles in between will include open countryside and forest, mountain heath and coastal dunes, sea shore, loughside and river banks and the TWO highest peaks in Ulster. Most of the trail is off road and the majority of the rest will be on “C” roads - we will travel about 2km along a “B” road and cross “A” roads five times. You are welcome to join for the entire walk, or for any segment. If you would like to join me please contact me at kevin.mcglynn62@gmail.com or on 078 3596 0804.

 

Any and all funds generated from this walk will go towards suicide prevention training, “Mind your Mate”, with our charity partner PIPS Programmes   http://www.pipsprogrammes.com/ and for PIPS Newcastle who provide support and counselling for those who have been bereaved by suicide. Suggested donations - £26 for complete walk, £10 for mountain segment, £5 for any other section – or you can just make a donation through justgiving.com athttp://www.justgiving.com/Kevin-McGlynn1

 

Approximate times:-

First mile at St John’s         8.00am

Keel Point, Dundrum          10.00am        (for coastal section to Newcastle)

Donard Park                         12.00noon     (for Slieve Donard & Commedagh)

Last mile at St John’s          7.30pm

 

Keep up to date on our website www.stjohnsgaa,com

 

 

 

“Mind your Mate” is a 3 hour training programme aimed at young people aged 16 – 24. It gives young people the skills to look out for each other and to look after their own mental health.

 

The training aims to:

§  Help young people understand why someone may become suicidal

§  Allow young people to identify the signs that a friend may be at risk

§  Help young people communicate with a friend who may be at risk

§  Enable a young person to link someone at risk to appropriate support

 

Mind your mate is now accredited with OCN at Level One. Participants wishing to gain this qualification need to complete a short workbook after the training and there is an accreditation fee of £25 per person.

 

 

 

Plan A – This will be a strenuous mountain walk è Donard Park car park àThomas’s Mountain à Slieve Donard àSlieve Commedagh àSlievenamaddy à Donard Park

 

Plan B – if for any reason it becomes inappropriate to go into the mountains (e.g. fire, severe weather) the route will detour through Tollymore Forest Park.

 

 

Remember to take your litter home