Every day in Ireland, 13 people die from a cardiac arrest.  If your work colleague, family member or friend suddenly collapsed, would you know what to do?  The Irish Heart Foundation is on a mission to train a nation of life savers and, through their Hands for Life programme, is offering free CPR training in communities and workplaces across Ireland for adults aged 18 years and over.  Find out more at: https://irishheart.ie/courses/hands-for-life

A very original and creative health initiative took place in Hydebank Wood Secure College and Women’s Prison last year that was co-designed and produced with people who live in custody.  As a result, it was decided to create a comic book that addresses health and wellbeing issues in prison.  A multi-disciplinary Steering Group was set up, involving people who work and live in secure establishments.  It was agreed that the first edition would focus on addiction - as this is a major issue in these settings.  A series of workshops was arranged with staff and service users to brainstorm ideas, artwork and story boards for the comic.  Crucial to this, was the involvement of a person who had previous lived experience of prison and is a volunteer artist for the Prison Arts Foundation.  Those in custody took the lead on character development, storytelling, artwork and, most importantly, relevant language.  The comic book focuses on the character ‘Diaze - Man’ who is addicted to prescription medication and his fight with his drug enemies - the Zolpidem Zombie King, Budzilla, Opioid Ogre and others.  He gets help from people who work in prison to overcome his enemies, and turns into ‘Mentor Man’, who is able to help others.  The comic was launched in November 2019, and work on the second edition begins in April 2020.  It also won the Public Health Agency’s Involve Fest Chairman’s Award 2019/20 for Best Community and Voluntary Initiative.  View a copy of it at: https://www.mhfi.org/BizInPris.pdf

You are invited to apply for a place on a 'Connecting with Young Men' workshop.  This free event will take place on Wednesday 25th March 2020, from 9.30am to 4.00pm, in the Regional Education Centre, Ardee, Co. Louth.  The aim of this workshop is to assist a broad range of practitioners to effectively connect with young men on mental health and wellbeing issues.  It focuses on the engagement process (i.e. WHY and HOW to build relationships with young men) and seeks to: demonstrate why we need to work with young men as a specific group; help participants to reflect on their own value base, experience, attitudes towards, and expectations of young men; explore the world of young men, the issues that they face and opportunities that exist to engage with them; consider the practicalities of ‘what works’; increase the confidence of participants in relation to working with young men.  To apply for a place, or for further information, contact Carol Farrelly at Tel: 041 9875292  |  Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) invites you to a free talk on ‘Adolescent Mental Health Resilience After Childhood Adversity’.  This will be held on Friday 20th March 2020, from 2.00pm - 4.00pm, in the O’Flanagan Lecture Theatre, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, York Street, St Stephens Green, Dublin 2.  In this talk, the speaker (Dr Anne-Laura van Harmelen) will argue that resilient functioning is not facilitated by any single ‘resilience biomarker’, but is a product of complex processes and influences across multiple levels; ranging from ‘bottom-up’ neurobiological influences, to ‘top-down’ supportive social influences.  This event is being organised by ACAMH’s Early Intervention in Youth Mental Health Special Interest Group, and is co-hosted by the Youth and Student Mental Health Special Interest Group of the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland.  Book a place at: https://www.acamh.org/event/ei-sig

The La Dolce Vita Project, in association with Parental Alienation Europe, will be hosting two ‘United As One’ conferences on 21st April 2020 in Croke Park, Dublin, and in The City Hotel, Derry/Londonderry on 23rd April 2020.  Both conferences will focus upon the issue of parental alienation and are suitable for professionals (including psychotherapists, social workers, psychiatrists, counsellors, barristers, solicitors, guardians of court, family support workers) and anyone working with those impacted by domestic abuse, violence and parental alienation.  More details are available at: https://parentalalienation.eu/parental-alienation-conferences-2020-dublin-and-derry

Employers for Childcare’s Northern Ireland Childcare Survey 2020 is now open.  With the restoration of the Executive, and childcare a key priority, it is a really important time for parents and childcare providers to share their experience of providing, accessing and affording childcare.  There are two surveys, one for parents and one for childcare providers.  Each takes less than ten minutes to complete.  Now in its 11th year, this Childcare Survey is a vital source of information for policy makers, and ensures that a broad range of voices are heard in the campaign to have an accessible, high quality and affordable childcare infrastructure that meets the needs of children, parents and childcare providers.  The input of fathers would be particularly welcome.  Parents will have the chance to win an overnight stay at the luxury Galgorm Resort and Spa in Co. Antrim [by completing the Parent survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2020childcaresurvey].  Childcare providers will be in with a chance to win a £100 Boots voucher [by completing the childcare provider survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2020childcareprovider].

The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust (SEHSCT) invite you to learn four basic steps to recognise persons with thoughts of suicide and to connect them with support.  Most people with thoughts of suicide invite help.  Often these opportunities are missed, dismissed or avoided - leaving people more alone and at greater risk.  SafeTALK training prepares you to help by using TALK (Tell, Ask, Listen and Keep Safe) to identify and engage people with thoughts of suicide and to connect them with further help and care.  This free training is for anyone who wants to help prevent suicide.  Sessions will take place on: Tuesday 21st April 2020 (Cloona House); Wednesday 20th May 2020 (Ards Community Network); and Tuesday 23rd June 2020 (Downshire Hospital).  All sessions run from 9.30am - 12.30pm.  To book a place or for more information, contact: Eileen Young at Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Tel: 02891 510181.

At a time of increasing demands upon all who work in delivering health and wellbeing support services to the public, it is vitally important that our own mental health and wellbeing is resilient enough to meet the pressures placed upon us.  To gain a snapshot of the current state of mental health and wellbeing in the support sector - and as an aid to further dialogue on how we might do it differently - Men’s Action Network (as part of the ELEVATE programme) invites you take part in a short survey.  The aim of this is for you to pause for a few minutes to consider the impact that your work has on you and on your life outside of work.  Find out more at: https://s.surveyplanet.com/rMc09J_l