Tag: Jigsaw

Secure a place in the Dublin City Half Marathon

Posted on by Ian Carey

If you are a runner, or you have a runner in your life, you will be delighted to hear that we (Jigsaw) have secured 10 Charity places for the SOLD-OUT Dublin City Half Marathon, which takes place on Sunday 30th March.

About the race

The inaugural event is set to take place on Sunday 30 March, starting at 8:30am on O’Connell Street in Dublin city centre.  Organised by Irish Life Dublin Marathon and Race Series, in partnership with Dublin City Council, the 21-kilometre course will take runners to the North of the city and back to the city centre.

Jigsaw Charity Places

We have just secured 10 charity places and as the event sold out in just two hours when it was launched a few weeks ago, these places are Hot Property.   This event is completely sold out, so this is the only opportunity that anyone has of taking part in this brilliant new half marathon.

Registering your interest. 

We have a total of 10 places, and they will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. To register your interest in a place, please contact justin.mcdermott@jigsaw.ie asap. Do get in touch to avoid disappointment!

Terms and Conditions of a charity place

These are charity places we secured to raise funds for our vital work, so everyone who secures each of our 10 places is expected to raise, donate or be sponsored funds for Jigsaw.

This fundraising breakdown is as follows:

  1. Everyone who secures one of our charity places is expected to raise, donate or be sponsored a minimum of €500 for Jigsaw.
  2. If you receive a place, a deposit of €125 must be paid to Jigsaw to secure it.
  3. 50% of the target (€250) must be raised, donated or sponsored by 28thFebruary 2025.
  4. 100% of the minimum target (€500) must be with Jigsaw no later than 30thApril 2025.

Also those who secure a spot will also receive a Run for Jigsaw pack which includes a Jigsaw branded technical running t-shirt, neck buff, water bottle and other fundraising materials.

If interested in one of these places, or have any other queries, so don’t delay, contact justin.mcdermott@jigsaw.ie

Who should design peer support for young people? Young people of course…

Posted on by Ian Carey

Getting mental health support from someone your own age, or who has dealt with something similar, can be effective.

Peer support is an approach that does just that.

Last weekend 30 young people got together to help design a national peer support service for Jigsaw.

David Kavanagh, Jigsaw’s Youth Voice & Engagement Manager, explains:

“At Jigsaw, we firmly believe that young people should play a central role in shaping the mental health services designed to support them. Evidence consistently shows that co-producing mental health services with young people leads to more relevant, effective, and impactful care. Our Youth Talk, We Listen series is a testament to this belief, and we are thrilled to see it come to life.

“This past weekend marked the first event in this exciting series. The session focused on designing a national peer support service for Jigsaw, using the innovative design thinking methodologies led by Jess Hayden from The Brave Lab. With over 30 young people participating, the energy and creativity in the room were remarkable. Together, they explored what peer support could and should look like in a Youth Primary Care Mental Health Service.

“The outcomes of this session represent more than just ideas—they signify a meaningful step in shaping mental health care that is personal, impactful, and aligned with the needs of young people. This work also ties directly into the research of Rachel Murphy, a UCD PhD candidate, who is developing a programme theory for peer support in primary care youth mental health. It’s an exciting step forward in offering a more personal care model for young people across Ireland.

“A huge thank you to Tara Buildings in Dublin for hosting us in such an inspiring and welcoming space. Your support helped create an environment that fostered collaboration and innovation.

“We’re eagerly looking ahead to the next session in this series, where we’ll partner with our colleagues at the HSE to continue innovating. Stay tuned for more updates as we progress through this journey of co-creating a brighter future for youth mental health in Ireland.”

The session was made possible through Léargas funding via Erasmus+.

 

PRESS RELEASE: Greater detail needed to understand how the Programme for Government will tackle youth mental health crisis – JIGSAW

Posted on by Ian Carey

Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, welcomes the commitments on tackling the crisis in youth mental health in the recently published Programme for Government, but caution that a clearer plan is needed to help young people in crisis now.

The broad commitment to enhancing mental health services for those under 25 is very welcome but the charity stressed the need to understand how those services are to be stepped up and where. Jigsaw noted that the mental health and wellbeing of young people globally has been deteriorating for the last two decades and that in Ireland we need an effective and immediate plan to deliver mental health services and supports for young people now.

Dr Joseph Duffy CEO of Jigsaw said:

“There are many really positive commitments in this programme that I want to welcome. The commitments around wait time reductions, expanding mental health services in schools, and commitments to improve CAMHS are all to be applauded, as is the commitment to continue to support the voluntary and community sector working in mental health.

“However, we feel that the plans could have been strengthened considerably by a commitment to invest in and expand early intervention services. We know that helping young people when they first experience distress is the most effective way to prevent suffering and improve outcomes. It also helps reduce the need for acute services as you catch problems sooner. 

“Above all we want to see the young people in our community who are struggling or in distress getting the services they need and deserve. Jigsaw, and others in the community and voluntary sector, are working hard to address that need and play a vital role in addressing the crisis we find ourselves in. 

“Our sector is best placed to deliver an increase in mental health services to young people quickly and cost-effectively. We look forward to working with the new government to meet their ambition and address this need. What matters most is that young people get the help they need when they need it.”