“Its ok not to feel ok” That was the message of Club Ashdown’s recent event in The Ashdown Park Hotel.
Joe and Catriona Dixon from Cycle Against Suicide got together with the team in Club Ashdown and hosted an event that touched the hearts of many people in our community. Over 300 participants cycled in the pool nonstop for 24 hours. DJ Ciano played great tunes creating an atmosphere that was electric. Many people got out of their beds or went without sleep to spread a powerful message. One couple from Carlow called in for what they had planned on being half an hour and ended up staying all night! The event received phenomenal support from the community.
The amount raised is funding a programme called Headstrong. This initiative was created to empower young people with the tools they need to recognise, understand and deal with mental health issues. The programme has been running in Irish schools since September 2019. With one in three young people in Ireland experiencing some form of mental health issue in any given year this programme is vital to educate both students and teachers.
Cycle Against Suicide together with The Ashdown Park Hotel are working towards changing the stigma around mental health that will ultimately save lives and heartbreak.
Orla Kenny
Helpful websites
https://www.suicidepreventionapp.com/
https://www.samaritans.org/ireland/samaritans-ireland/
