Almost £600,000 for five Mid Ulster mental health charities

The awards have been made following an additional allocation of £6.02m to the Mental Health Support Fund which is providing grants to a range of charities and groups.

During a visit to the area Minister Swann called in at two of the charities, the Niamh Louise Foundation near Dungannon and the Rural Support which is based at the Loughry Campus near Cookstown.

Minister Swann said: “I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit these two organisations who exemplify the diversity and scope of the hugely important work being undertaken day and daily by similar groups across Northern Ireland.

“The award of £98,000 to Rural Support will support still further the work they have been doing in developing resilient mental health in farming families.

“The Niamh Louise Foundation has been awarded £303,000 to help expand the services they provide and enable them to employ two full time suicide intervention workers.”

Catherine Mc Bennett, Co-founder and Operational Director of the Niamh Louise Foundation said: “We are delighted that the Health Minister took the time to visit our premises and see and hear about the work we do here at the Foundation.

“We are overwhelmed at the amount of monies we received from our application to the Mental Health Fund. The funding will help in the sustainability of the work within the Foundation over the next three years.”

Other groups to receive funding were Mid Ulster Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (MACP), based in Dungannon Reaching Out and Empowering Lives - a counselling and talking therapy support programme for the Mid Ulster area who received £29,000.

Bardic Educational Arts and Media Mighty Minds project, an arts and crafts, health and fitness, social activity and mental wellbeing programme for young people aged 14-25 with learning support needs in Donaghmore of Dungannon received £81,980.

Speedwell Trust Stronger Together mental health programme, for families and children in Dungannon received £73,740. The Minister recently confirmed that he had secured an extra £6.02m to be allocated to the Mental Health Support Fund.