• Business in the Community NI raised £8,209 for mental health charity MindWise
• The donation was used to deliver mental health awareness sessions in post primary schools
• Business in the Community works with local businesses for better mental health

The donation has been used by MindWise to deliver mental health awareness sessions in post-primary schools across Northern Ireland. Through these sessions, pupils are helped to identify signs and symptoms of the most common mental health issues and are provided with tools to support their wellbeing and build resilience.

Staff members at BITCNI, and their friends and family, helped reach the fundraising total by organising raffles, pub quizzes, cook-ins and a sponsored Malin-to-Mizen cycling challenge in partnership with four current and retired firefighters.

Gillian McKee, Deputy Managing Director at Business in the Community, said: “Good mental health is vital for individual wellbeing and has a direct impact on communities and ultimately the Northern Ireland economy, so we are delighted to support MindWise with its work raising awareness of mental health issues in young people in NI. Thank you to everyone that supported our fundraising efforts.”

Currently one in four people in Northern Ireland will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime, including depression, anxiety and panic attacks. Business in the Community helps businesses to embed wellbeing into their culture, encouraging employees to talk about mental health issues and training line managers in mental health awareness.  A recently launched Mental Health in the Workplace eLearning course is available to support employers to take action for positive mental health.For more information visit www.bitcni.org.uk/wellbeing-inclusion or call 028 90460606.