Portadown Wellness Centre increases services to cope with rising demand for mental health help

The team at the Armagh Road charity has noticed a significant increase in local people seeking help, reflecting the current Northern Ireland-wide mental healthcare waiting list crisis.

By providing support and empowerment for those affected by mental illness, addiction, physical illness, loneliness or isolation, Portadown Wellness Centre continues to fill a vital role in helping people improve their quality of life.

The vision of the centre is ‘to lift the cloud of mental illness’ with the aim of helping people recover from mental illness, regain their confidenceand self worth and become happier more fulfilled individuals.

As they look towards the end of another busy year, management team members are delighted that they have attracted funding to expand services which follow their successful model of combining emotional support with enjoyable and practical activities.

The expanded services will include subsidised professional counselling, a weekly support group for those experiencing mental health / emotional issues and subsidised classes in a variety of therapeutic activities such as yoga, arts and crafts and gardening and horticulture.

Founder of Portadown Wellness Centre, Alan McDowell added: “We are so grateful and appreciative of the support from all of our funders. We are now in a position to launch a strong autumn 2024 support package for those in the community who might currently be struggling with emotional / mental health issues, lonliness, isolation or the recovery from physical illness.”

Research carried out by the Wellness Centre reveals that Northern Ireland has the second highest rates of mental ill-health when compared to 17 other countries. As of January 31, 2024, 6,347 adults were waiting to access mental health services, including 2,719 waiting more than nine weeks.

The Wellness Centre team also found a startling 20 per cent of adolescents may experience a mental health problem in any given year. Ten per cent of children and young people (aged five to 16 years) have a clinically diagnosable mental problem, yet 70 per cent of those who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age.

Almost one in five people in the community feel lonely at least some of the time and one in 20 are identified as chronically lonely, the research said.

Between 2020 and 2022, the suicide morality rate in the most deprived areas was more than two and a half times the rate observed in the least deprived areas. This stark disparity highlights the urgent need for targeted mental health support in deprived areas.

The research also found that almost a quarter (24 per cent) of respondents said they do not feel free to talk to friends and family when struggling. Northern Ireland has the highest percentage of people who feel they should put on a brave face to avoid talking about mental health. More than 72 per cent of people admitted hiding their feelings, significantly higher than the UK average of 64 per cent.

Linda Robinson, business development manager and head of fundraising at the centre. said: “The statistics presented highlight significant challenges and disparities in mental health across different demographic groups in Northern Ireland.

"At Portadown Wellness Centre, we are committed to addressing these issues by providing comprehensive support and interventions to those in need. Our ongoing efforts aim to reduce inequality gaps and improve mental health outcomes for all members of our community.”

Funders include the Armagh Banbridge Take 500 Programme (£1,000) which will support the community participation programme; National Lottery Awards for All (£9,000) to support the Community Wellness through Education programme, aiming to improve the education, skills and overall wellness of 28 young adults from socially deprived areas and Garfield Weston Foundation (£20,000) which will allow the increase in occupational therapy classes on offer, including arts and crafts, pottery and ceramics, woodwork, cookery, yoga and drama.

Funding has also come from KFC Community Grants Programme (£2,500 for the next two years) to run a series of pottery and woodwork classes for young people aged 12-18; the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (£8,000) through their community grant and cohesion fund which will go towards a series of occupational therapy programmes and the development of Portadown Wellness Centre.

There has been funding too from The Allen Lane Foundation (£3,000) for specially designed programmess aimed at enhancing education, skills and wellness for 14 young people from socially deprived communities; The Foyle Foundation (£7,500) to provide professional counselling services and Community Fridge Network (£6,900) which has been instrumental in helping the centre distribute food directly back into the community.

The private sector continues to support Portadown Wellness Centre through generous financial contributions and in-kind services provided by a number of local businesses including: Almac, Irwins Bakery, Kerry CDF, Simplyfruit, Wilsons Country, Instant Print and Hannon Transport.

Linda Robinson said: “Portadown Wellness Centre focuses on collaboration and connection and we are proud to support these companies and their employees in times of need.

"We extend our heartfelt thanks to all our funders and supporters. Their contributions are vital in sustaining our services and enabling us to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those in our community.

"However, the ongoing challenge we face at Portadown Wellness Centre is ensuring our centre remains sustainable. As the demand for our services increases, so do our costs. With this in mind, we continue to explore and build on a range of potential funding possibilities through community, public and private sector avenues.”

To enquire further about professional counselling or therapeutic classes email [email protected] or telephone 0754 537 3413.