When the Volvo Ocean Race revisits Galway City from Saturday 30th June to Sunday 8th July, See Change in partnership with HSE West’s Galway Mental Health Service will be there along with Jigsaw, Headstrong, National Office of Suicide Prevention, Shine, Aware, the Samaritans, Mental Health Ireland, Amnesty International, NSUE, Console, SOS, NUIG and Positive Mental Health Galway, to engage the festival’s 800,000 visitors in an open conversation about mental health.
Our ‘Mental Health Matters’ tent in the Global Race Village will be a place for people to get information on well-being and mental health problems, listen to the personal stories of who have experienced a mental health problem and make their pledge to prioritise positive mental health and challenge stigma.
Introducing the Green Ribbon for Mental Health Awareness
We’re pretty chuffed with the prospect of more than 15 organisations coming together to challenge attitudes and even more so that we have the opportunity to engage 800,000 people on the subject of their own and others’ mental health. To mark the significance of this collaboration, a green ribbon (used internationally as a symbol for mental health awareness) will be presented to every visitor to the Ocean Race Festival. We hope that the green ribbon will be a lasting symbol for mental health awareness in Irish life.
If you can’t get to Galway but like the idea of wearing this symbol of openness and understanding around mental health problems, contact our office on 01 8601620 or email
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- Mayor of Galway launches Mental Health Matters for Volvo Ocean Race: Pictured from L-R; Kahlil Thompson Coyle, See Change; Paul Tannian, Jigsaw; Liam Fogarty, HSE West; Ciaran Lynch, Galway Mental Health Service, HSE West; and Kieran McMahon, Galway Mental Health Service, HSE West. Photo: Joe Travers
- President Higgins vistis the Mental Health Matters space at the Volvo Ocean Race: Pictured from L-R; Kieran McMahon, Galway Mental Health Service, Sabina Higgins, President Michael D. Higgins and Ciaran Lynch, Galway Mental Health Service, HSE West.
- Galway sports stars support mental health matters. (Pictured L-R David Nolan Connacht Rugby, Finian Hanley, Galway Football Captain, Brian McClaren, Galwegians Rugby Club, David Collins Galway Hurling Captain and Andrew Browne, Connacht Rugby.)
- Minister Michael Ring visits the Mental Health Matters space at the Volvo Ocean Race (Pictured here with Ciaran Lynch, Galway Mental Health Service, HSE West.)
- Irish band the Kanyu Tree visit the Mental Health Matters space at the Volvo Ocean Race.
