300km Run in 30 Days

I'm Reece McGinley, co-owner of Movement, Lifestyle and Fitness and I've set myself a challenge to run 300KM IN 30 DAYS - for those of you that know me, you'll know how much I hate running! So why am I doing it....back in 2019 I was diagnosed with depression. It wasn't something you'd openly talk about back then and it's worrying to see that even now there is a still a stigma about recognising and speaking out about mental health issues. If you break an arm you go to A&E, get it plastered up and even have physio to help aid the healing process, why should our mental health be any different!! Thankfully I can manage my depression by taking prescribed medication, speaking with professionals when needed and living as healthy a lifestyle as possible. Unfortunately for some, they don't get to this point and think death is their only option. It's so important that we raise awareness on mental health issues, let people know it's ok to not be ok and support services like The West Belfast Sports Wellbeing Forum to help tackle that stigma and keep our community alive.

The West Belfast Sports Wellbeing Forum was established to provide assistance, guidance and training on suicide prevention. Northern Ireland has one of the highest rates of suicide in the world and it's having a huge impact on our community. Issues such as substance misuse, unemployment and poverty, right through to the fact that we are post conflict society gives us higher levels of depression and greater antidepressant prescription usage rates. The West Belfast Sports Wellbeing Forum want to offer some light at the end of the tunnel. Through all their initial hard work with sporting clubs in West Belfast, they now have the potential for a greater outreach in the community. They create opportunities to get people talking about their issues using a framework that seeks to provide understanding and guidance to those in need. The forum has acquired premises in West Belfast, where people experiencing mental distress can receive immediate care with their team of qualified and experienced counsellors. They also design and deliver suicide prevention and awareness workshops to the sporting community and youth organisations, creating a wider network of outreach workers.

We've all been impacted by mental health, either directly or indirectly....let's start supporting the most vulnerable in your community and get them the support they need.