Mindspace Mayo benefits from Swinford man’s fundraising challenges

Mindspace Mayo has received a cheque from various fundraising initiatives by Swinford man, Alan Heaney.

Alan Heaney presented Peadar Gardiner, Project Manager with Mindspace Mayo, with a cheque for the €14,762 raised from his fundraising efforts last year when he undertook what is known as ‘the toughest foot race on earth’, the six-day, 251-kilometre Marathon des Sables in the Sahara Desert.

More recently, on August 9, 10 and 11, a group known as ‘The Ultra Cyclists’, of which Alan Heaney is a member, took on the arduous three-day ‘Nine Peaks Challenge’, again to raise funds for Mindspace, along with Macra na Feirme’s ‘Making the Moove’. 

The challenge involved biking to and hiking nine different peaks, three each day, in three different provinces. The group accumulated a total of 500 kilometres of cycling and 75 kilometres of hiking. 

The event has already raised over €20,000.

His reasoning for undertaking such challenges in aid of the organisation is the importance of their 

“I think the work Mindspace is doing is so important, and the service gives young people in Mayo the opportunity to access free support locally and someone to listen to them and help them if they are not in a great space or going through a tough time,” he commented.

Mindspace Mayo provides free mental health primary care services to young people between the ages of 12 and 25. 

Since its inception in 2015 the organisation has helped over 5,000 young people in providing brief, evidence-informed youth mental health support to individuals experiencing mild to emerging mental health difficulties, and to support those at future risk of developing mental health conditions.

Operating from a central hub in Castlebar, the service uses approaches such as psychoeducation, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), solution-focused brief therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction, motivational interviewing, harm reduction and relapse prevention, person-centred counselling and guided problem-solving.

“We are incredibly grateful to Alan for his ongoing commitment to fundraising for Mindspace. His efforts and dedication, taking on events that test participants to their absolute limits physically, mentally and emotionally, are nothing short of inspiring. 

“Fundraising efforts like this enable Mindspace to continue offering free, community-based mental health support to young people across Mayo that makes a significant positive difference to their lives,” he continued.

Minspace Mayo provides a weekly outreach service in Ballina and Erris. 

Young people or their parents, teachers or GPs can make a referral directly by visiting the Mindspace Mayo website, or by calling 094 904 7001.