A group of people in front of artwork on a building promoting a mental health and wellbeing event

Cork Kerry Community Healthcare has partnered with Mallow Chamber of Commerce, Cork County Council, See Change and Shine to present ‘Together at the Castle’, a Mental Health and Wellbeing event for the local North Cork community, on Sunday 18th September between 1pm – 5pm at Mallow Castle.

Together at the Castle will include a diverse range of entertainment, recreational activities, workshops and informational spaces which will be provided by local community groups and other organisations.

The event will promote a sense of community and highlight the importance of the local services providing support for mental health and wellbeing.

Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Danny Collins, highlighted how, “‘Together at the Castle’ promises to be both entertaining and supportive to all. On behalf of Cork County Council, I am delighted to join forces with HSE Community Healthcare and Mallow Chamber in delivering an event which promotes positive mental health and the Green Ribbon in the superb location of Mallow Castle. Mental health is of enormous importance and its vital that we are aware of the variety of relevant supports that are available.”  

Sharon Cregg, President of Mallow Chamber of Commerce said she welcomes the opportunity to work alongside the HSE/Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, Cork County Council, See Change and Shine on the event.

She said:

“I’m very excited to bring this event to Mallow. It’s all about creating awareness for all people and highlighting mental health supports, information and education. It will be a day for all the family with lots of fun activities, workshops and entertainment included.

“We’re hugely appreciative of all those who will be in attendance on the day sharing details on supports and resources available. There will be something for everyone and I’m urging the local community to come along and enjoy ‘Together at the Castle’.

Ahead of the ‘Together at the Castle’ event, the Cork launch of the Green Ribbon campaign will take place in Mallow. The Green Ribbon campaign marks its 10th anniversary this year and is a national campaign to break stigma around mental health.

Martin Ryan, HSE Resource Officer for Suicide Prevention with Cork Kerry Community Healthcare said:

“We are delighted to collaborate with Mallow Chamber of Commerce and Cork County Council to bring this event to the community. Over the last number of months, we have worked collectively to make sure this event offers a practical and positive approach to mental health and wellbeing in your local community. With up to 50 services expected to attend, there will be something useful for everybody to get engaged, or to understand where to seek help. We really want to promote the concepts of hope and recovery within our own communities and to remind people that there are huge benefits to our overall wellbeing by keeping physically and mentally healthy – with many supports available to help us to do just that.”

Martin added:

“It’s important that everyone is aware of the supports available to them in their community, and I would encourage everyone to seek out local events, programmes, trainings, sports clubs and youth services available to you. In my role, I’m very much aware that when I meet with groups or individuals, often they want to know what supports are available in their local area. Therefore, it is really important that we can signpost people to relevant services, matching the right service with their needs.

The event is being run to coincide with See Change’s national annual mental health awareness campaign, the Green Ribbon campaign which runs throughout the full month of September. See Change Ireland’s programme dedicated to ending mental health stigma and discrimination, will be celebrating 10 years of the Green Ribbon campaign this year.

Barbara Brennan, See Change Programmes Leader, said:

“We are really excited to be part of ‘Together at the Castle’ and hope that the North Cork community will come along to learn more about what we can all to do improve our mental health and wellbeing.

“At See Change, we recognise the importance of supporting local communities and giving people the tools to start having more open and honest conversations about mental health. Through initiatives like this and our Green Ribbon campaign, we are working towards breaking down the stigma and discrimination that many people living with a mental health difficulty can experience.

To find out more about See Change’s Green Ribbon campaign, visit the See Change website: www.seechange.ie/green-ribbon/