As demand for mental health help in West Belfast grows, a newly formed wellbeing hub is raising money to expand their services.
West Wellbeing Forum offers free counselling and support for those in need across Belfast and further afield. Based in the Dairyfarm Shopping Complex, community support for the team has been growing for the last number of months.
The team working at West Wellbeing now hope to get enough funds to refurbish their hub and to deliver additional mental health care. Fundraising efforts are currently underway to aid this, with some well-known locals backing the campaign.
Read more: Belfast hub delivers 1,000 hours of free mental health support in first months
Belfast comedian Paddy McDonnell said: "I got involved with West Wellbeing because it is a much-needed organisation in West Belfast. They are self funded and I recently heard about the project where they want to increase the facilities that they have because the demand is too much.
"I am happy to support West Wellbeing and to give them as much help as possible because this is needed in our community. The job they are doing is absolutely fantastic."
Carl Frampton is also backing West Wellbeing's efforts to better the lives of men, women and children across Northern Ireland. He joined them at the Kennedy Centre last weekend, where a raffle to win a brand new car in support of the hub was launched.
He said: "I had seen a few people talking about West Wellbeing and I didn't really know too much about it but actually, they have helped a few people that I know personally. That is when I really became aware and then spoke to Gerard Mallon and Desy Jones.
"What they are doing is absolutely fantastic and although they are called West Wellbeing, they are helping people all over the country. There are people from all walks of life seeking their services and getting their help.
"Speaking to them behind the scenes, everything they do is self funded and community led. I think it would be important at some point to get a bit more help from the government and political parties.
"These guys are the salt of the earth and all they want to do is help people. They are growing all the time and they will continue to grow, I am sure."
Gerard Mallon from West Wellbeing told Belfast Live that they have been blown away by the support of the local community. He said that in the first eight months of West Wellbeing, they have seen huge demand for their help.
He added: "In that time we have provided 387 with one to one counselling through art therapy, which is one of our many services here. Now with huge demand for our services, we need to expand the space within our hub to utilise our counsellors and deliver for the many people seeking help.
"Our grand prize draw is offering someone the chance to win a brand new car, and in doing so help us raise funds to create additional spaces to continue to deliver these services. We are planning to add a mezzanine floor, with three counselling rooms and a new specific art studio to deliver counselling for children aged 3-17 years old."
For ways in which you can help West Wellbeing, you can find them on social media here where details on the grand prize draw can be found.
READ NEXT:
-
NI family remember "vibrant" sister by fundraising for mental health
-
Family and friends of Ards RFC player team up to keep his memory alive
-
Ray of Hope Memorial Weekend returns to honour well-known Fermanagh man
-
Teen 'told to wait a year' for grief counselling following death of friend
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
