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Young Minds Matter

An important Mental Health Awareness conference entitled; “Young Minds Matter” was launched Friday 11th April at the Burnavon Theatre, Cookstown.  The Conference is a joint venture between Cookstown District Council Good Relations Programme, the Burnavon, South West College and Niamh (Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health), and will be held on Tuesday 13th May.  


Young Minds Matter Launch


Shocking statistics are readily available that clearly demonstrate the growing presence of mental health issues in young adults; ‘850,000 children and young people in the UK have a mental health problem – and that’s just ones that have been diagnosed’ (  Anne Clarke, Programme Manager, Niamh said; “This conference will provide a platform for open discussion and engagement with young adults and parents/guardians to highlight support services available and the need to address potential issues early”.

The event will incorporate three sessions during the course of the day that will each be facilitated by renowned Communications and Lifestyle Consultant Billy Dixon and feature a short drama entitled “Baggage” produced in association with Niamh and performed by the Performing Arts students at South West College.

The Conference will comprise of three sessions throughout the day.  The first and second sessions, held at 10.00am and 12.30pm have been specifically developed for young adults from schools and colleges in the Dungannon and Cookstown area to provide an opportunity for discussion around mental health issues and general life pressures. 

Celine McCartan Deputy Director and Head of Corporate Services, South West College said; “The aim of this event is to remove stigmas about mental health issues through engagement activities and open discussion.  It is hoped that young adults and parents/guardians alike will find the conference engaging and that is may open up discussions on relatively taboo topics such as; family pressures, body image and social media”.

The third session, held in the evening from 7.00 – 9.30pm, is open to the general public and will provide key information and support available relating to issues that are particularly prevalent for young adults in today’s society.

For further information or to register your attendance contact the College directly: Mary O’Neill at South West College Cookstown Campus Tel: 0845 603 1881 or email: mary.o’

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