Sinn Féin Youth Wing Launches Mental Health Initiative in Munster
Ógra Shinn Féin has announced details of a regional initiative aimed at promoting positive mental health amongst young people. Munster youth officer for the party, Kevin Burke, said that there is a silent mental health crisis affecting young people as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kevin Burke said:
“The ‘Mind Yourself Munster’ initiative will being rolled out by Ógra Shinn Féin over the course of a fortnight beginning on 8th March. We aim to raise awareness of the real challenges facing young people at the moment, and to provide useful tips on how we all can look after our mental health.
“Uncertainty, isolation, financial difficulties, and a collapse in opportunities to socialise have hit young people hard. Goalposts are constantly shifting when it comes to education and exams. The impact on mental health is very real, and very worrying.
Patrick Curtin said:
"When I was elected Chair at the beginning of the college year for WIT Ógra Shinn Féin, my main priority was to listen to the students and investigate the biggest issues that they were facing during this pandemic. When speaking to many individual students across WIT and also across the Province the number 1 issue was mental health and it was effecting students in many ways .When I had all the investigating done I brought this back to my committee and we discussed about doing an event to help in some sort of way. we first decided to do a local campaign for students around Waterford but we then decided to reach out to our sister groups across Munster and join as one and make it a provincial event and that’s how ‘MIND YOURSELF MUNSTER’ was formed, WIT Ógras very own mental health officer Sophie O’Mahony stepped up along with myself and with the help of others we brought everyone in with a lot of detailed planning and long hours put in to make this happen on both sides. The main message I personally want to get across is that myself and others are out there to help and there is people listening and we want people to get the help and support they deserve. I think we all feel a sense of duty towards each other and this issue strikes a chord with republicans.
“Ógra Shinn Féin activists across Munster have taken the initiative to meet this challenge head on. ‘Mind Yourself Munster’ will involved a series of online talks and Q&A sessions aimed at Leaving Certificate and 3rd level students. This is an initiative for young people, arranged by young people. All the events are free to attend.
“Guest speakers include former Waterford senior hurling manager Derek McGrath, Sinn Féin spokesperson on mental health Mark WardTD , footballer Dessie Hutchinson, mental health advocate and author Enda O’Doherty, and education spokesperson Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD.”
“Is deis í seo do dhaoine óga na Mumhan”, a dúirt Oisín Ó Síocháin ó Ógra Shinn Féin Chorcaí, “a gcúiseanna buartha a roinnt lena n-ionadaithe tofa, ionas go gcloisfear a nglór i dTeach Laighean agus níos faide i gcéin. Is eagraíocht do dhaoine óga sinn, atá ag eagrú an fheachtais seo ar mhaithe le dea-mheabhairshláinte ár gcomh-ógánach.”
Ógra Shinn Féin is the youth wing of Sinn Féin and membership is open to young people aged 16 - 26.
The events will take place on Zoom and the first event will begin at 7pm on Monday 8th March. Details of all events, including Zoom links will be available on WIT Ógra and Ógra Chorcaí’s Facebook and Twitter Pages.