NI charity launch mental health vehicle for rural communities

The Niamh Louise Foundation today held a pre-launch of their new service which is a vehicle especially deisgned to offer support to rural communities and those living in isolation.

The Foundation received funding from Ulster Garden Villages and Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council Legacy Fund, both for the purchase and refurbishment of an exhibition vehicle and trailer.

The unit has been transformed into a mobile intervention and awareness unit to bridge the gap in services in mental health, suicide, and self-harm prevention and intervention within rural areas, through awareness raising and one to one intervention sessions with the aim of attending events such as farmer’s marts, schools, and sporting events.

The launch event was attended by Health Minister Jim Wells who praised the new initiative saying, “I want people to respond to their mental health in the same way as they view physical health and access to the right support at the right time can prevent suicide.

“This new mobile therapy and intervention unit will contribute greatly to suicide prevention in the Tyrone and Armagh areas by providing support right to the heart of local communities. The Niamh Louise Foundation is to be commended for its dedication and contribution to suicide prevention.”