Call for Homestay Volunteers in Newry for Cycle Against Suicide
Cycle Against Suicide is seeking homestay provider support for the Northern Ireland leg of its annual cycle taking place from 28 April 2018 – 7 May 2018.
Cycle Against Suicide is an initiative to raise awareness of the help and support networks that are available to people across the island of Ireland that are battling depression, self-harm, at risk of suicide or those bereaved by suicide.
Each year, Cycle Against Suicide brings together communities with different backgrounds and stories to help break the cycle of suicide.
Since 2013, the event has seen over 15,000 cyclists take to the roads to help spread the message that ‘It’s OK not to feel OK; and It’s absolutely OK to ask for help’.
Central to the success of Cycle Against Suicide is the Homestay Programme. People throughout the island of Ireland welcome participants of the event into their homes every year, and each homestay host provides cyclists with a warm meal, a chance to freshen up, and a bed for the night.
Approximately 1,500 homes opened their doors to host participants during last year’s event and feedback from homestay hosts indicates that this experience has been extremely rewarding, as it allows hosts to lend support in a very tangible way.
The official 2018 route schedule and map are now live and the cycle will pass through 5 counties in Northern Ireland, stopping in numerous locations along the route, rallying hope and support in localities throughout Northern Ireland.
Cycle Against Suicide is seeking local support and homestays at each of the following NI locations: Newry on 29 April; Belfast on 30 April; Dungannon on 1 May; and Omagh on 2 May.
Northern Ireland has the highest rate of suicide in the UK. The latest regional figures on suicide revealed that more people have taken their own lives in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement than were killed in political violence during the Troubles between 1969 and 1997.
The power of the cycle and its message is something that brings families, communities, organisations, schools, individuals and cyclists of all abilities together with a common purpose of ending the cycle of suicide in Ireland and Northern Ireland today.
Each year, Cycle Against Suicide aims to engage more and more communities to begin a conversation about mental health; about looking after ourselves and reaching out to each other.
Register as a homestay provider today and help break the cycle of suicide.
Register your support at http://www.cycleagainstsuicide.com/get-involved/2018-cycle/
Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=63760