Solas hosts Suicide Awareness Training in Ballycastle

On Tuesday 24th May, Solas were delighted to host Aine Wallace from Dare2Stretch who provided an enlightening session on suicide awareness.

The invited audience came from a range of local voluntary youth and sports based organisations and volunteers from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and Ballycastle Community Rescue Service, Solas is a newly established group in the area who have set up to identify ways to help support emotional well being for individuals and groups in the area.

Part of this remit is to encourage local people to build their skills in identifying when someone is in distress and increasing the community sectors awareness of mental health issues and suicide prevention.

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Solas were also pleased to introduce the newly appointed Suicide Prevention Development Officer, Amanda Pollock who has recently taken up post and is based with North Antrim Community Network in Cushendall. Amanda who is employed by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust will be available to help direct and support training development in this area of work.

The Chair of Solas said that she “was pleased to see the training event so well attended by the community sector” stating that” this is a demonstration of the need for these skills to be developed particularly for those that may often encounter people in high emotional distress as part of their work”. Ciaran Kinney from the MCA also commented that “the training was very useful and that as an organisation the Coastguard were committed to building their skills in this area in their continuing efforts to protect life” and he thanked Solas for their invitation to attend.

For anyone wishing to find out more information about Solas and their future activities please contact Tricia Sands Robinson on (phone or email??)

The group would like to thank the NHSCT and Moyle District Council for their support in delivering this event.