Irish charity, Cycle Against Suicide has announced that its all-Ireland Cycle Against Suicide bike ride will visit Omagh on Wednesday 29th April and the charity has chosen South West College (SWC) as an anchor college to co-host an amazing mental health event during the lunch-time stop.
The two-week long Cycle Against Suicide bike ride, which kicks off in Belfast on Monday 27th April, will take in stops in Coleraine, Derry (via Malin Head) and Enniskillen, before heading to the southern tip of Ireland and finishing in Dublin on Sunday 10th May.
As an anchor college, SWC will provide refreshments and facilities to the cyclists for the lunch-time stop on Wednesday April 29th. The college will also co-host an informative and action-packed mental health event comprising of presentations, videos, entertainment, celebrity speakers and an exhibition of local mental health services, before the cyclists depart for Enniskillen where locals will host the cyclists for an overnight stay.
Leanne Patton, Health and Wellbeing Officer, SWC said:
“South West College is delighted to partner with Cycle Against Suicide for this great event and we look forward to welcoming the cyclists to Omagh.
“The impact of this cycle is powerful and far-reaching, not just in our schools and colleges but also in the community at large. It gets the conversation around mental health going in the community and more importantly it highlights the support services available to those that need them.
“Promoting positive mental health is important to South West College and by joining forces with Cycle Against Suicide we can continue to raise awareness of the issues around mental health and suicide.”
Established by Irish Entrepreneur Jim Breen, Cycle Against Suicide is a charity which seeks to break the stigma associated with the open discussion of mental health, through the promotion of its message that ‘it’s ok not to feel ok; and it’s absolutely ok to ask for help.’
Mr Breen added:
“We have brought the Cycle to the North before and we’ve had tremendous support and a very warm welcome, so we thought it fitting to start the event here this year.
“Schools and colleges are critical to helping us spread the message that it’s ok not to feel ok; and it’s absolutely ok to ask for help. Each year over the two weeks of our annual Cycle around Ireland, we deliver presentations in schools, colleges and universities and we witness how hugely responsive students are to that message - we also see the value students place on their mental wellbeing and that of their friends and families.”
If you would like to volunteer with South West College when the Cycle Against Suicide bike ride comes to town – whether its road marshals or just supporters at the roadside to cheer on the cyclists, please email Leanne.Patton@swc.ac.uk
For further information on the Cycle Against Suicide bike ride or to register for some or all of the legs of the 14 day cycle, please visit www.cycleagainstsuicide.com
Together, shoulder to shoulder we can break the cycle of suicide on the island of Ireland.