Rethink Ireland's €3m fund for youth mental health projects

Bohemians FC, SpunOut and Way2Work Ireland among ten non-profit groups to benefit from new €3m HeadStart Fund

Promoting Bohemian FC's 'Pride on the Pitch'  project, a recipient of Rethink HeadStart funding: Keith Buckley, Bohemians; Declan Devine, Bohemians; Anthony Brennan, CEO, Zurich Ireland; Deirdre Mortell, CEO, Rethink Ireland; Aisling Duffy, HSE; James Talbot, Bohemians,

Ten non-profit organisations providing youth mental health support services will be funded under Rethink Ireland’s new HeadStart Fund.

The HeadStart Fund is a €3 million, three-year fund, created by Rethink Ireland in collaboration with the Z Zurich Foundation and the HSE.

Deirdre Mortell, CEO of Rethink Ireland, said: “The crisis in youth mental health demands urgent action. We believe that non-profit organisations delivering community-led supports are a big part of the solution.

“All of our young people deserve access to mental health supports when and where they need it, and long before they are in a crisis situation. The ten awardees we’re announcing today are responding to this need, so that our young people can live fulfilled lives and can reach for their full potential.”

The ten groups receiving funding include: Childhood Matters [CHIPPS], Liquid Therapy CLG [A Drop in the Ocean], First Fortnight [Creative Therapy Services for YA], Hair Together CLG, The Bohemian Football Club CLG [Pride on the Pitch], Way2Work Ireland [Leaving no Young Person behind] , ShoutOut [ShoutOut's Educational Programme], SpunOut [Spunout Academy], Tacú Ballinrobe Family Resource Centre CLG [SPACE for Young People], and Involve CLG [No Shame Mental Health Programme for young people from the Traveller Community].

All ten groups offer early interventions, well-being and resilience programmes, and other mental health supports, to young people in Ireland.

A survey of more than 2,000 young people by the Ombudsman for Children earlier this year found that 28% rated their mental health as ‘ not good’. The survey found that 31% of girls rated their mental health as “not good” versus 16% of boys.

For those who identified as non-binary, another gender or preferred not to say, only 6% rated their mental health as “good”, while 61% state that their mental health is “not good”.