Recently students and teachers from Ard Scoil na nDéise travelled to the University of Limerick to attend the 2017 Cycle Against Suicide Student Leaders’ Congress. The Congress focused on raising awareness of the message ‘It’s OK not to feel OK; and it’s absolutely OK to ask for help’, and promoting help-seeking behaviour in young people. This year’s Congress was the biggest to date, with over 6,000 students and teachers attending over two days in UL.
The Congress brought together young adults and teachers from all over the island of Ireland in an inspiring and energetic forum comprising live entertainment, discussion, celebrity guests, and much more. This year’s guests included former Connaught rugby coach, Pat Lam, Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Helen Mc Entee, with entertainment provided by The Strypes and Orla Gartland.
Very much a student-led event, a large portion of the day actively involved students. This year’s theme was “Share The Journey”, and students at Ard Scoil na nDéise engaged with this theme to design a project and promote positive mental health within their school community. This project part fulfils the requirement for the prestigious award of Cycle Against Suicide Ambassador School, which Ard Scoil na nDéise is hoping to receive at the end of this school year.
It was a really enjoyable day, but it also carried a very important message; that our mental health, just like our physical health, needs to be cared for.