In March 2013, the Niamh Louise Foundation launched a new youth group. The group has gone from strength to strength over the last number of months and within it the youth are involved in learning how to look after their own mental health, sign posting others to the correct help and support, raising awareness of poor mental health and suicide within the local community and becoming involved in general with the Niamh Louise Foundation.

The group is a positive way for the youth to engage with the Foundation and helps them along in their own recovery.

They have also been involved with Practice and Participation of Rights (PPR) in Belfast, who have been enabled the youth to learn more about their human rights in regards to mental health, and how they can be used to create a positive change in society.

The group has been given the chance to share their own views on mental health services and have identified many key issues such as lack of education and awareness of mental illness which can lead to stigma, and a lack of media campaigns highlighting the issues of suicide and self harm.

The youth have found the PPR approach interesting and informative and it has allowed the group to become more empowered and see that their voices can make a difference. The group hopes to build upon these initial findings and develop a lasting change for today’s society in regards to mental health, self harm, and suicide.