EmployAbility Limerick partner with the Green Ribbon Campaign to host Time to Talk Day


 

green ribbon campaign

Pictured at the EmployAbility Limerick Office for the launch of the upcoming Green Ribbon campaign and ‘Time to talk’ day taking place on Tuesday May 7th are Kevin Downes, Limerick Senior hurler, Meghann Scully, Mental Health Advocate, Ursula Mackenzie, EmployAbility Limerick, Amanda Clifford, A.B.C for Mental Health, Patrick McLoughney, Social Media Influencer, and Richard Lynch, founder of ilovelimerick.com. Picture: Conor Owens/ilovelimerick.

 

EmployAbility Limerick partner with the Green Ribbon Campaign to host Time to Talk Day

EmployAbility Limerick assists and supports people who have an injury, illness or disability in returning to work and maintaining employment. They currently have a specific project that solely focuses on people with a mental health illness. For the month of May, EmployAbility Limerick is joining forces with See Change, whose aim is to reduce the stigma associated with mental health problems and challenge discrimination, by partnering with the Green Ribbon Campaign.

Green Ribbon Campaign

A.B.C For Mental Health is holding Green Ribbon Talks at the Hunt Museum throughout the month of May.

The annual Green Ribbon Campaign takes place every May, as part of Mental Health Awareness Month, and aims to get people talking openly about common mental health problems. This campaign, now in its 7th year running, promotes open conversation about mental health and it challenges the associated stigma that sometimes comes with it. Ursula Mackenzie from EmployAbility Limerick, explained why they got involved, “Stigma is very often one of the barriers to hiring someone who has a disability, particularly mental health illness, and we just like a lot of other organisations and businesses have been supporting this campaign for a while now, however, we took it upon ourselves this year to go a little further”.

A.B.C. for Mental Health is an organisation set up to promote a healthy and open attitude towards Mental Health. A.B.C. stands for, Awareness, Belonging and Creating. Since 2014 A.B.C. for Mental Health has been organising talks and events in Limerick to promote Green Ribbon month. Amanda Clifford, from A.B.C for Mental Health said, “We would like to get people together, who want to make a difference, to feel they belong, to come to our events as it is so important to promote open conversations on mental health and to challenge the stigma attached to mental health problems. Alone we can do little; together we can do so much!”

EmployAbility Limerick and A.B.C for Mental Health launched the Green Ribbon Campaign with the help of Meghann Scully, Mental Health advocate, Kevin Downes, Limerick Senior Hurler, Patrick McLoughney, Social Media Influencer and Richard Lynch from ilovelimerick.com who all came out to support a worthy campaign.

More than 500,000 free green ribbons are distributed every year to spark a national conversation about mental health in boardrooms, canteens, clubhouses, arts venues, college campuses and around kitchen tables throughout Ireland. Wearing a green ribbon during May, could encourage others to reach out, feel less alone and seek support.

This May, EmployAbility Limerick is asking local businesses to ‘Light up Green’ with exterior lighting to help “Say ‘No’ to Mental Health Stigma.” Alternatively, you can host an event on May 7 as part of the National ‘Time to Talk’ Day- this can be anything from in house mental health promotions, coffee morning, etc. On this day people are encouraged to use their social media presence to encourage positive conversation about mental health online. Time to Talk Day takes place annually and encourages everyone to talk about mental health.

On Tuesday, May 7 Employability Limerick will host a ‘Time to Talk Day’ event which will take place in Ruby Sundays Café at 2.15pm with guest speaker Patrick Mercie. At 6 pm in the Peoples Park, a Tree of Hope will be planted with guest of honour psychologist Eddie Murphy from the hit RTE Show Operation Transformation and all are welcome. 

Ursula said, “We are hoping to have a stream of green balloons down the city centre on May 7. So if you have not spoken to us please get in contact!” For more information on how to get involved email ursula@employabilitylimerick.ie or phone 061 493095.

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