Young men’s mental health project wins top award

A project aimed at raising awareness of young men’s mental health has won the top award in a regional competition.

Organised by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, to improve health and social care in Northern Ireland the winning team, from Whiterock Health Centre, are one of nine statutory, community and voluntary groups from across Northern Ireland to receive awards as part of the Cash Grant Scheme.

The scheme now in its tenth year is aimed at improving health and social care in Northern Ireland. Grants are awarded to groups working in all sectors to carry out innovative, practical projects, which will result in better care.

Speaking at an award ceremony in Templepatrick, Francis Rice, Nursing Officer with the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, said: "All of these projects have made a difference to the people who use our services. They have done this through innovation and adopting a patient-centred approach to improving care.

"The ethos of the scheme is to ensure that new ideas are captured, evaluated, disseminated and sustained. It focuses on the people who use the services, in that all the projects funded must demonstrate that they have had a positive impact on a service user's or carer's life."

The title of the winning project was 'Young Men’s Mental Health Promotion' by a team from Whiterock Health Centre, with a project responding to the fact that North and West Belfast has the highest percentage of suicides among young people in the UK.

(MB)