500 Hours” Fundraiser to Address Urgent Mental Health Needs in Ireland
Let’s Get Talking, a prominent mental health charity dedicated to providing accessible counselling and psychotherapy services, has announced the launch of an impactful fundraiser named “500 Hours.” With the alarming rise in mental health needs across Ireland, this initiative aims to secure 500 hours of therapy to address the pressing demand for support. The campaign seeks to raise funds that will cover the cost of counselling sessions, ensuring timely and crucial assistance for individuals facing various mental health challenges.
Let’s Get Talking will be hosting coffee mornings at their branches throughout the country. Neighbours, friends, service users, therapists and followers of Let’s Get Talking are invited to their branches for a cup of tea, a chat and some biscuits:
➡ Galway Branch, 1 Liosban House, Liosban Industrial Estate, Tuam Road on Tuesday 29th August from 10:30am – 12:30pm
➡ Dublin Branch, Unit 9 Walkinstown Mall, 78 Walkinstown Road, Dublin 12 on Friday 8th September from 10:30am – 12:30pm
➡ Kerry Branch, 24 Denny’s Street, Tralee Co. Kerry V92 EC9T – Time and Date TBC
➡ Wexford Branch, 54 Weafer Street, Enniscorthy, Wexford Y21 K0F2 – Time and Date TBC
With its mission of making psychological support accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic circumstances, Let’s Get Talking envisions an Ireland where talk therapy and psychoeducation are viable options for every citizen. Through face-to-face counselling, online therapy, workshops, and wellness programmes, the charity has centres in Galway, Dublin, Kerry, Wexford, Clare and Limerick and has already made a positive impact on local communities nationwide.
In June 2023, Let’s Get Talking provided over 1,200 hours of counselling to a broad spectrum of individuals in need, 64% of which were females and 36% were male. 30% of these were under 25, 41% fall between the ages of 26 and 40, and 29% are over 40, highlighting the significant impact of mental health challenges being faced across our society. Among the prevalent issues addressed by Let’s Get Talking, anxiety tops the list, affecting 40% of clients. Depression follows closely behind at 30%, while trauma/abuse affects 20% and suicide/self-harm concerns account for 10%. On average, the charity also conducts 64 assessments for new clients each month, reflecting the constant influx of individuals seeking mental health support.
We sat down with Let’s Get Talking Board Member, Níall McNelis, to discuss the up coming fundraiser:
“The entire country is going through a mental health crisis at the moment and without the valuable work of charities like Let’s Get Talking, the people of Ireland would be in a much worse situation. Running a charity like Let’s Get Talking doesn’t come cheap. In June 2023 alone, they (Let’s Get Talking) provided over 1,200 hours of counselling and without the support of the general public, this level of service would be impossible.
We are solely funded by the generosity of the public and our clients, we are appealing to the public to help in any way they can to help support the services Let’s Get Talking provide. 60% of our referrals come from GPs who turn to us to help those who need to talk.”
These statistics demonstrate Let’s Get Talking’s commitment to meeting the overwhelming demand for mental health support in Ireland while also underscoring the urgent need for continued support and resources to sustain and expand the charity’s operations. Through their innovative approach of offering non-set fee counselling and psychotherapy, Let’s Get Talking ensures that no one is left behind in receiving the support they need. Providing support to adults and adolescents, focusing on early intervention and addressing a wide range of challenges, the charity accepts self-referrals and offers an unlimited number of sessions to clients, ensuring comprehensive and ongoing care. Clients have the freedom to determine what they can afford to pay for their therapy sessions, empowering them to prioritise their mental well-being without financial strain. The charity firmly believes that no one should be denied access to mental health support due to their financial circumstances. However, with the ever-increasing need for mental health support, the charity relies on the generosity of individuals, businesses, and communities to sustain and expand their services.
Let’s Get Talking encourages individuals and organisations across Ireland to contribute to their ongoing efforts of making mental health services accessible and available to all by donating to the “500 Hours” fundraiser, Every €30 raised helps cover the cost of counselling sessions, preventing further distress for those on the waiting list and ensuring timely support for those in need.
You can donate to this fundraiser on our Enthuse donate page : https://letsgettalking.enthuse.com/cf/500hours
https://letsgettalking.enthuse.com/donate#!/
About Let’s Get Talking:
Let’s Get Talking is a leading mental health charity dedicated to providing accessible mental health services to individuals of all socio-economic backgrounds in Ireland. By offering non-set fee counselling and psychotherapy, the charity ensures that financial circumstances do not hinder access to essential mental health support. With a strong focus on early intervention, Let’s Get Talking supports individuals facing various mental health challenges and envisions an Ireland where psychological support is available to all citizens.
Let’s Get Talking has six regional centres in Counties Galway, Dublin, Tralee, Limerick, Clare and Wexford, with 80 qualified therapists. You can log onto the Let’s Get Talking website to find out more about their work, seek a therapist and donate to their current campaign at www.letsgettalking.ie