After the huge success of Helen McDonnell’s previous week of drop in sessions back in May, she thought it was time to return visit, and with the uncertainly over a possible second lockdown due to Covid-19, the timing could not be better.

Helen said: “We had amazing feedback from the people from all walks of life and different backgrounds, who took part back in May. What was most inspiring was how quickly we built up our own little online community.”

Helen is running the sessions on behalf of Aware NI, a charity dealing with people suffering from mental health issues. The organisation which began in Derry now has a second office in Belfast and 23 support groups across Northern Ireland. The expansion of Aware NI is a reflection of the need for mental health services here, but also on the professionalism and dedication of their trained volunteers.

As one of the founders and current board members of Aware, Helen said she saw this as the perfect opportunity to keep mental health issues to the fore and to help with their fundraising.
Helen said: “Although the last weeklong challenge ended in May, I have continued to run free drop-in sessions, and now we are adding the extra days for this one.”

The Free Mindfulness Challenge begins on Monday October 5 and runs until Friday October 9 to coincide with World Mental Health day on October 10.

There are two sessions each day, one at 10.00am and the other at 7.00pm and includes an introduction to Mindfulness, and will introduce you to ways to support your mental health, and also resilience by learning new skills for lasting change.

Here is the link to the website where people can register
https://www.indigolifecoaching.com/5-day-challenge-with-aware/

Sessions are free with optional donation to Aware NI
Donate to Aware NI – Aware NI