Positive messages for CBS mental health project
Communicate with a trusted friend when life seems like it’s at an end. That was the winning message from the CBS Balloon Mental Health Day last Thursday when the first class students at Mullingar CBS took to the streets of Mullingar to display their mental health messages.
The objective was twofold: to get the young men to reflect and design a message on what mental health means to them; and to display it on the street for the public so people could pause and reflect on their mental health.
The students penned wonderful messages, creative and colourful, and as there was a competition for the best messages and display, they guarded their messages till they went on display.
The boys collected inflated balloons at Card Warehouse Mullingar, attached their message and put them on display. As the balloons went up – with no shortage of wind to keep them blowing – the public became curious to know what was going on, and stopped to read the messages and ask the students what they were doing.
People thought it was a wonderful idea – the only regret was how cold the morning was and the rain that came in the afternoon meant that the balloons did not survive as long as wished.
The judges viewed the balloons and messages and chose the winning messages, but as competition was close for the first three places, the input from the public was sought.
The winning message was: Communicate with a trusted friend when life seems like its at an end;
the second message was: Never look down on someone unless your helping them up”; and
the third message was: “Do not say that you feel like dying, just try to feel like diamonds, do not even think about not trying”;
the most original message was: “Look at life through the windscreen not the rear-view mirror”
Sarah McCormack of Mullingar Soroptimists said: “These are strong messages for all of us, especially when we consider that Ireland’s rate of suicide among young males is among the highest in the European Union [as documented in the recently published Young Men and Suicide Report, compiled by the cross-border Men’s Health Forum in Ireland].
“An action event like this where students get actively involved rather than reading and writing about mental health leaves a lasting impression on them.
“This event from the CBS is a showcase on how we can get other schools and youth organisations involved all in the effort to overcome mental health issues and reduce the suicide rates. Great credit is due to the CBS teachers, particularly Annette Torpey and Betty McLaughlin, who had the courage to take up this action, and Mullingar Card Warehouse, who gave us so much help on the day.
“Despite the cold everyone had a fun day,” added Sarah.
The award winners will receive their prizes, together with an additional prize for the best artwork on the balloon display, at an event after Easter.
This event and prizes were sponsored by Soroptimist Mullingar and District and Mullingar Mental Health Association, as part of the National Soroptimist Project for Suicide Prevention and Positive Mental Health.