Programme to support veterans experiencing mental health issues

The recent event at Antrim Cenotaph was part of an initiative organised by Fresh Minds Education.

The social enterprise recently launched Connections: Operation Link Life, a training session aiming to raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention for veterans and their loved ones.

As a result of the pandemic, there was a lack of suicide awareness and prevention training which inspired the team at Fresh Minds Education to take on the role and with the help of the PHA, they became the first company in the UK to bring facilitated suicide prevention training to 1,500 people online.

CEO of Fresh Minds Education, Practitioner and Director of Connections Link Life Aine Wallace, described the importance of the veteran course in understading the complex topics of emotional health and suicide awareness.

She said: “It was important for me to create something that made space for people to gain information, have an opportunity to have a conversation about the elephant in the room, hear their own voices, be represented, learn skills and be informed with the knowledge of who and what local support there is in our ever-evolving landscape of service. During the pandemic, Fresh Minds Education used that period to innovate our training programme by recording the stories of those experienced by suicide and embedding these stories safely into our programmes. Through film, digital media and online platforms we have demonstrated how even in the most difficult of circumstances we can bring local voice and local experience safely into the room and continue to help people and save lives. Developing this course is an important step in the right direction and a valuable piece of the tapestry of interventions that collectively will make life a little better for those of us suffering, in pain and living with a loss of hope.”

Based on the connect 4-ways model, the course empowers participants to act should they ever become concerned about a loved one or colleague and also encourages them to reach out and ask for help themselves.

During the memorial event in Antrim, Her Majesty’s Representative for Co Antrim Lord Lieutenant David McCorkell and Cllr Webb were joined by attendees including Sally Orange, a mental health campaigner who has experienced mental ill health and Dolores Savage who helped lay a wreath at the Antrim Cenotaph and participated in two minutes of silence led by Robert McCartney from Beyond The Battlefield.

Speaking after the remembrance event, Mr McCorkell said: “It’s so important we do what we can to raise the awareness of the issues facing veterans and the support that is available to them. This course has been made specific to those in the veteran community by including veterans and families of veterans. It hopes to empower and inspire meaningful personal action that will help save lives, improve wellbeing, cultivate emotionally healthy practices and break the cycles of trauma. I’m sure it will bring great success to all those who wish to participate.”

Cllr Webb also took to the stage to congratulate the Fresh Minds Education team, stating: “There’s a lack of support so it’s good to see a programme like this and I look forward to hearing about the course that’s available.”

The event which was funded by Ald Paul Michael, The Veteran Champion for Antrim and Newtownabbey and Antrim and Newtownabbey Council, closed with live music from Antrim Children’s Choir who sang their version of Gary Barlow and the Military Wives song, ‘Sing’.

The all-island charity, Inspire Wellbeing, has commissioned Fresh Minds Education to deliver this programme throughout Northern Ireland and is also supporting the delivery of the ‘train the trainers’ event which will take place next month.

For more information, visit the Fresh Minds Education website.

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