The team behind a North Belfast-based mental health group reached new heights this weekend when they tackled Northern Ireland's famous Stairway to Heaven walk.
Members of Mental Health Awareness NI took on the challenge of the Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail in Co Fermanagh to help raise money for the charity and its new counselling service.
Caoimhin McNulty, 23, from Ardoyne, set up Mental Health Awareness NI by himself in 2018.
Read more: Belfast mental health group looks to the future with new premises in old library
For a long time he had wanted to work around mental health within his own community after losing a close friend to suicide at just 14.
In January 2020, Caoimhin registered a new group called Mental Health Movement (MHM), a fully youth led organisation, one of the few in Northern Ireland.
In an area impacted by the highest rates of death by suicide in Belfast, MHM also delivers mental health workshops to children and young people in youth-based settings such as schools and youth clubs.
The youth led charity was founded on the idea that young people are more likely to listen to other young people about mental health.
Earlier this year, MHM secured its first office space at the former Carnegie Library on the Oldpark Road, which is due to open later this summer.
Caoimhin told Belfast Live: "A group of 16 of us did the Stairway to Heaven on Saturday, June 24th to help raise money for Mental Health Movement and our counselling service launching this July.
"It’s a four hour walk and then 450 steps all to raise some extra funds for MHMs youth services. Some of us did the walk in memory of a loved one and some just to raise money for a good cause.
"Those involved came from the Ardoyne, Oldpark, Ligoniel and Whiterock areas. Over £2,200 was raised, which will go back into the communities we work in. This includes employment CV services for young people and our poverty relief work such as vouchers and foodbank appeals as well as our new counselling service.
"As a non-government funded charity we really appreciate it!"
To find out more about the support available through Mental Health Movement, click here and you can still donate to the fundraiser here.
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