Category: News

Tipperary Jigsaw address the Elephant in the Room

Posted on by Ian Carey

Introducing Rocky the Elephant!

The team in Jigsaw Tipperary welcomed Rocky the Elephant into their hub for a 2-month stay as part of the Elephant in the Room Movement and to highlight the Light It Up Tipperary website, which aims to bring together an easy accessible list of all public and private support services available in Tipperary.

What is The Elephant in The Room Movement?

The Elephant in the Room Movement is a social enterprise which started in Ireland. The movement brings business, art and community together to help change the narrative around mental well-being all over the world, using the visual medium of art sculptures to challenge stigma of all kinds.

The movement promotes a message of hope and kindness, and encourages open conversation about mental health in schools, workplaces and our communities.

Cashel Community School are the first secondary school in Ireland to take part in the movement and Rocky is the first elephant in Co. Tipperary.

This project is a collaboration with local community sponsors and students who are participants in the Young Social Innovator Programme in Transition Year and the school’s Amber Team which promotes positive mental health.

We are indebted to our amazing local artist Damien Mc Caron for his guidance and talent throughout this journey.

Rocky’s Symbols

My name is Rocky the Elephant I am a symbol of HOPE in Cashel Co. Tipperary. Cashel Community School students worked in collaboration with the Elephant in The Room movement and local businesses to make this project a reality. I have many symbols that I want you to understand. 
My bright yellow colour is a symbol of HOPE. The Rock of Cashel iconic in its historic and religious significance is my central symbol. I am so proud to be the first elephant of HOPE in Co. Tipperary.

There are beautiful wild Irish flowers on my legs reminding you of the importance of nature to our wellbeing. I also have symbols of sport, dance and music reminding us how vital it is to have hobbies and enjoy new challenges regardless of our age.

I have a megaphone symbol which is on my ear this is reminding everybody that asking for help is always a sign of strength. There is a QR code that can be scanned with lots of information if anybody needs the contact details of all the supports available in Tipperary. We would like to thank Light It Up Tipperary for allowing us to share this QR code.

I have a Sanskrit symbol representing the breath and a pair of hands on my forehead symbolising community and friendship.  I have a large heart symbol on my ear, reminding us of the important of being kind to ourselves and to others. 

We would like to thank Damien McCarron the artist who helped us design and paint Rocky, we are so grateful for his help, guidance and dedication.

Five-a-side fun for a good cause

Posted on by Karl Hempton

Now in its 5th year, the Cocoa Cup 5-a-side football fundraiser, organised by Lindt Chocolate, took place in the Astro Park in Coolock last Thursday, June 26th.

Over 120 took part, including players from Lindt, Butlers Chocolate, Primeline Group, Heinz, Sprungli and even a Jigsaw team.

The event raised over €4k this year, but more than that, it brought players together for a sun-drenched afternoon of connection, competition and craic.

Details of how you can support this years fundraising efforts can be found here – https://www.gofundme.com/f/g4jbx-the-cocoa-cup-charity-tournament-for-jigsaw

PRESS RELEASE: Olympic Hero Kellie Harrington attends launch of the Grand Tour in aid of Jigsaw

Posted on by Ian Carey

The Double Olympic Champion came to lend support to the 40 motorcycle riders traveling the country in aid of youth mental health.

The launch, which took place at Joe Duffy BMW Motorrad this morning, was the start of the 3-day motorbike tour of all 14 Jigsaw services around Ireland.

Olympian Harrington said at the event:

 “Great to be here this morning at Joe Duffy BMW Motorrad in support of the Jigsaw Grand Tour. The support that Jigsaw provide to young people is inspiring and something that I’m happy to support. 

“I wish all the lads and ladies the best of the 3-day ride out and hope that if anyone is in a position to support the charity, they can click the link and give what you can.”

The Grand Tour 2025 is made possible thanks to the generous support of main sponsors Joe Duffy BMW and Carole Nash Ireland, offering a unique chance to highlight a vital cause. At the launch, Gavin Hydes Group CEO of the Joe Duffy Motor Group presented the bikers with a cheque for €10,000. 

The fundraising target is €50,000 and the total currently stands at €45,000. To donate and support the bikers visit idonate.ie/TheGrandTour2025

Speaking on Dublin’s Radio Nova, event organiser Damian Sheridan said:

“It’s a fantastic cause we are doing this for. On a personal level my own daughter had a serious accident last year and the trauma that came after that, we couldn’t deal with it as parents, so we reached out to Jigsaw. The support that Layla got from that was absolutely amazing. It brought her confidence back and her self-esteem back and it brought her back to the normal child she was before. That’s what keeps me going and doing things like this.”

Rachel White from Jigsaw added:

“Jigsaw are all about helping young people who are struggling with their mental health. We provide free therapy for young people aged 12 to 25, allowing young people to go in and get the help they need, when they need it. The demand for services continues to rise. We are asking people to support the bikers by giving what they can at idonate.ie/TheGrandTour2025 ”

Jigsaw offers free, confidential, therapy to young people struggling with their mental health. We also offer to support and advice to those who work with young people in the community. Demand for Jigsaw’s services continues to grow making fundraising efforts like the Grand Tour 2025 more critical than ever.

 

 

 

Dublin to host the International Association of Youth Mental Health Conference in 2026

Posted on by Ian Carey

It’s the largest gathering of researchers, practitioners and young people supporting youth mental health in the world.

And next year the International Association for Youth Mental Health (IAYMH) Conference will take place in Dublin.

Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, with the support of the Department of Health and the HSE, was successful in bidding to bring the prestigious conference to Ireland.

The conference will take place at Dublin’s Convention Centre from November 25th to 27th, 2026.

This global conference will be planned and delivered in partnership with young people. It will spotlight cutting-edge Youth Mental Health practice, policy and research, connect young people with each other, researchers, practitioners, organisations, and policy makers, to explore how evidence drives change in policy, practice, and services.

 

 

M&S donate €150k to support youth mental health

Posted on by Ian Carey

Marks & Spencer Country Director Eddie Murphy has presented Jigsaw with a donation of €150,000 to help support the mental health of young people around Ireland.  

This week marked one year since Jigsaw and M&S entered into our exciting partnership.

Under the banner, ‘Together we’ve got this’, the partnership aims to raise capacity, reach, and accessibility of the help available to young people across Ireland struggling with their mental health through a series of fundraising and awareness initiatives.

The last 12 months have seen a range of initiatives across areas such as in-store fundraising, staff training and public awareness campaigns. With over e150k raised to date, the partnership is due to go from strength to strength over the next 2 years.

 

PODCAST: How to manage exam stress

Posted on by Ian Carey

Exam stress impacts everyone. Learning how to manage it is essential to success and well-being at school.

As part of Jigsaw’s new schools programme Neart, the team has produced a podcast which provides tips and advice on how to understand and manage the stress of exams for students and parents.

Listen here

 

In this episode, the Neart schools team talks to Dr. Kim Lombard from Jigsaw, Catríona Rodgers and Eoin Houlihan from the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, Áine Lynch from the National Parents Council, Joe Leonard, principal of Cross and Passion College in Kildare, and Cian and Katie from the National Comhairle na nÓg.

We discuss the impact exam stress has on young people and families, how parents can recognise when a young person is experiencing a worrying level of stress, some practical ways parents can support young people, and possible avenues of further support for both young people and their parents.

The Neart Youth Mental Health Podcast is brought to you by Jigsaw, The National Centre for Youth Mental Health, and the Department of Education and the National Educational Psychological Service.

Information on the organisations and supports mentioned can be found here: Exam Stress Episode resource

A general list of supports for parents & guardians can be found here: Parent & Guardian Support List

To sign up for the Neart Parent newsletter and access further supports, register here: Neart Parent Registration

For more information on Neart visit www.jigsaw.ie/neart

 

Starbucks Easter Donation Drive

Posted on by Ian Carey

Starbucks are running an Easter Donation drive this weekend in aid of Jigsaw.

The coffee chain will be giving customers a chance to donate to Jigsaw and support free therapy for young people who need it.

Justin McDermott, Fundraising Manager at Jigsaw, explains:

“This Easter weekend our partners Starbucks Ireland are running a donation drive across all their outlets in Ireland to support our free therapy and support services for children and young people, aged 12-25.  So we are asking you to do these three things to support.

  1. Connect with your friends
  2. Grab a coffee in your local Starbucks 
  3. Donate to Jigsaw 

“You can also donate online to support this drive, to do so visit www.jigsaw.ie/GiveAtEaster“.

VHI Women’s Mini Marathon SOLD OUT! Still interested? Watch this space…

Posted on by Ian Carey

We’re excited to share that over 40 amazing supporters have already signed up to take part in this year’s VHI Women’s Mini Marathon on Sunday, 1st June 2025, as part of our Run for Jigsaw campaign!

Run for Jigsaw is our national fundraising series supporting youth mental health, proudly sponsored by Incredible Socks. Together, we’re stepping up for young people across Ireland—and the Women’s Mini Marathon is one of the biggest highlights of the year.

The event is now completely sold out, but don’t panic—we’re working on securing more tickets, so stay tuned. We’ll share updates as soon as we can.

If you are interested in taking part in this event and would like to be put on our waiting list for a ticket, please email Steven at steven.short@Jigsaw.ie

A huge thank you to everyone who’s already joined Team Jigsaw. Your support means the world, and we can’t wait to cheer you on in June!

Visit Incredible Socks here – https://incrediblesocks.ie/collections/women

PRESS RELEASE Professional training launched to support the mental health of LGBTQ+ young people

Posted on by Ian Carey

Youth organisations Jigsaw and Belong To co-created course for people working or volunteering with young people

Today national youth organisations Jigsaw – The National Centre for Youth Mental Health and Belong To – LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland launched an updated training programme ‘Supporting the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People’.

The free online training has been created for adults who work or volunteer with young people in their communities to upskill in supporting LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health.

The two youth organisations originally came together in 2016 to develop a course for those who work or volunteer with young people. This is the second iteration of that course, updated to meet the current cultural environment and needs of LGBTQ+ youth.

The training takes approximately 1.5 hours to complete, and covers topics including:

  • Using appropriate language and terminology when supporting LGBTQ+ young people;
  • The current landscape of LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health;
  • The impact of the social determinants of health on LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health;
  • The impact of minority stress upon LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health; and
  • Practical strategies to help build resilience among LGBTQ+ young people.

Growing Mental Health Challenges for LGBTQI+ Youth

Recent research from Trinity College Dublin, Being LGBTQI+ in Ireland, which was published in 2024, highlights the significant mental health challenges experienced by LGBTQ+ youth in Ireland today.

The report revealed that, compared to the general youth population, LGBTQI+ young people experience:

  • Three times the level of severe and extremely severe symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression;
  • Twice the level of suicide ideation; and
  • Five times the level of suicide attempts.

Speaking about the course today, Dr Joseph Duffy (he/him), CEO at Jigsaw commented:

“People working and volunteering with youth have a huge opportunity to support them in a way that can really change lives. Being able to support young people through challenges being faced at a critical time in their development can have a huge and lasting impact. This training has been developed to provide anyone in this position with the knowledge and understanding to be able to support LGBTQ+ young people who we know need that support now.”

Also speaking was Moninne Griffith (she/her), CEO of Belong To who said:

“We’re very proud to be launching this updated training, and very conscious of the current environment in which we’re doing so with an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and a growing, coordinated attempt both internationally and here in Ireland to row back on LGBTQ+ rights. Young people see this and feel this. The findings of ‘Being LGBTQI+ in Ireland’ revealed last year are upsetting, but to those of us working to support LGBTQI+ people, unfortunately they are not surprising.

“This study demonstrates the harsh reality that depression, anxiety and stress have increased amongst LGBTQ+ youth since the first iteration of the same study in 2016. We hope that this study will be a resource for any person working or volunteering with young people to support them through challenges they are facing, at a time when they so clearly need that support.”

PRESS RELEASE Minister McEntee launches Neart, the new programme of wellbeing and mental health supports in post-primary schools

Posted on by Ian Carey

Minister for Education, Helen McEntee TD, has launched Neart, the new national programme of mental health and wellbeing resources and training for post-primary schools. Neart is being delivered in a partnership between the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and Jigsaw – The National Centre for Youth Mental Health.

Neart – the Irish word for strength, provides learning opportunities that promote student mental health and wellbeing as well as mental health webinars and e-Learning courses for parents and school staff.

Minister McEntee welcomed the launch, saying:

“I am delighted to launch Neart – the new national programme of mental health and wellbeing resources and training for teachers, students and parents, in partnership with Jigsaw.  

“It has never been so important that children and student’s mental health is supported in our schools. Particularly with the impact of social media, it is vital that we support school communities around mental health to ensure that students are equipped to speak about their mental health and wellbeing. 

“While wellbeing supports have been in schools for some time, the needs of students and teachers are ever-evolving and so it is timely that we are add to these supports for our post-primary schools. 

“I want to thank everyone who worked on this initiative and crucially, I would encourage every post-primary school to register with the service and avail of the supports on offer, to help their students and teachers alike.” 

Welcoming the initiative, Dr Joseph Duffy, CEO of Jigsaw, said:

“Jigsaw is delighted and proud to have been selected to provide Neart, in collaboration with NEPS and the Department of Education. Through this programme, we are fully committed to providing everyone within the school community with the knowledge and confidence to speak about mental health and wellbeing, to challenge stigma and, collectively, to work together to create a positive, enriching, and protective environment for all.”  

The Department of Education believe that Jigsaw’s existing experience delivering initiatives supporting the mental health of young people across post-primary schools made them an exemplary partner in this initiative. Their work will complement the supports already available in schools that include: the provision of guidance counselling, the work of the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), as well as the existing wellbeing programmes and initiatives including the Student Support Team structure.

Schools can sign up to the new service by logging on to https://jigsaw.ie/neart where they will find information and support for school leaders, school staff, for student support teams and for parents and guardians and to check out upcoming training and webinars on offer throughout 2025.

 Notes for editors: 

NEART | Classroom resources | Jigsaw.ie

Supports and programmes Jigsaw will provide:

Supports for students that will:

  • Enhance the capacity of Student Support Teams to actively seek and respond to the voice of young people in relation to wellbeing and mental health in schools
  • Provide learning opportunities for students that promote mental health and wellbeing

Support for parents will:

  • Enhance parent/carer involvement in wellbeing school initiatives and engagement in promoting wellbeing and mental health in the school community
  • Enhance Student Support Teams to actively seek and respond to the voice of parent/ guardian in relation to wellbeing and mental health in schools
  • Provide psychoeducation on the promotion of wellbeing/mental health for parents via webinars and e-Learning opportunities.

Supports for school staff will:

  • Build capacity of staff to promote whole school approaches to wellbeing and mental health awareness
  • Enhance training and support for Student Support Teams to raise awareness of positive mental health and wellbeing
  • Provide e-learning opportunities for staff on mental health and wellbeing promotion
  • Provide wellbeing and self-care webinars and eLearning courses for school staff