Press Release
To be released on 24 May 2005
23 May 2005
‘Think your alone … think again’ – Donegal Youth Council launches
poster campaign for young people!
On Tuesday this week Donegal Youth Council will launch “Think your alone … think again” poster campaign in the Finn Valley area aimed at encouraging young people to seek help in their moment of need. This poster campaign is in response to the number of young people taking their own lives, particularly in the Finn Valley area. The poster will include useful contact details of services that young people can avail of.
Members of Donegal Youth Council sit on the Finn Valley Alliance for Positive Mental Health. This group includes parents, community activists and professionals from both the statutory and voluntary sectors and has come together to make a local and positive impact in Mental Health in the Ballybofey/Stranorlar and Raphoe areas.
Sister Anne, who is the co-ordinator of the Finn Valley Alliance for Positive Mental Health stated that “the unique aspect of this poster is that it has been designed by young people for young people and will provide a lifeline for young people who feel that they are alone and have no one to turn to”. She added that “the participation of young people in the Alliance for Positive Mental Health has brought a new dimension to the group and has been instrumental in initiating this innovative approach to targeting young people”.
The launch of the ‘Think your alone … think again’ poster campaign compliments a number of successful campaigns already initiated by the Finn Valley Alliance for Positive Mental Health with the most successful to date being helpline numbers on milk cartons, sponsored by Donegal Creameries.
Damian Gallagher, member of Youth Council in the Stranorlar Electoral Area developed the initial design concept for the poster and speaking at the launch he stated that “if this poster helped one young person to access the information they need then we would deem it to be a tremendous success.”
He added that “for this initiative to be successful it is paramount that everyone in the community supports the campaign and this is why the Youth Councillors are calling on business owners, school principals, youth workers and sporting officials to put up posters particularly on the back of toilet doors on their premises. The youth council is also urging any young person who feels that they have no one to turn to, to contact the services and to assure them that there is a helping hand out there.”
Anne McGeever, Youth Council Officer working with Donegal County Council stated that “we feel that this is a good opportunity to target young people and to make them aware of the services that are available to them. It is important that young people don’t feel that they are alone and are aware of services that provide confidential support and advice.”
End
For further information contact:
Anne McGeever
Youth Council Officer
Donegal County Council
Tel: 074 91 94200
Anne Marie Conlon
Communications Officer
Donegal County Council
Tel: 074 91 72574
Mob: 087 9192275