Radius Housing brighten up Blue Monday with AWARE

 AWARE announced as Radius Housing Association Charity Partner 

Today, (Monday 21 January) is known as Blue Monday, thought to be the most depressing day of the year. An iconic day then for Radius Housing to announce AWARE as their new charity partner for 2019/20. Radius Housing is set for an action-packed schedule of fundraising on behalf of new charity partners AWARE. They will embark upon everything from fun runs and bake-offs to raffles and bun sales.  Radius staff have already planned a number of events to help raise essential funds for Northern Ireland’s Depression Charity.

AWARE delivers mental health and wellbeing programmes in communities, schools, colleges, universities and workplaces throughout Northern Ireland. The charity has an established network of 23 support groups in rural and urban areas across the country, which are run by trained volunteers. Support groups welcome people with depression and bipolar disorder as well as those who care for people with the illness. Many of the AWARE support group volunteers have personal experience of depression having been to a support group themselves.

Radius Housing provides housing, care and support to over 33,000 people in Northern Ireland and delivers a range of care and supported living schemes to a broad range of clients with complex needs. The schemes include caring for the vulnerable and elderly, residents with dementia, learning disabilities and those who are homeless.

Announcing the partnership, Radius Housing’s Chief Executive John McLean said:

“We are proud and extremely excited to be partnering with AWARE in 2019-20. In today’s society, with suicide rates locally higher than anywhere else in the UK, the work that AWARE does is vital and extremely respected by all in Northern Ireland. With a large team at Radius, many of whom work directly with members of the public; we recognise the importance of a positive approach to mental wellbeing.

AWARE was chosen as our charity partner for 2019-20 because we have seen the positive impact they have had in local communities. At Radius we pride ourselves in not just housing people, but ensuring their social, physical and mental wellbeing is all cared for and we are absolutely delighted that we will be able to support AWARE in their work over the next two years.” 

Karen Collins, Chief Executive at AWARE, said:

“We are delighted to be the chosen charity partner of Radius Housing and I am really looking forward to seeing what the partnership has to offer over the year ahead. As a charity, the money that people fundraise is vitally important to allow us to continue delivering our services in schools, communities and workplaces across Northern Ireland.

AWARE delivers a Mood Matters Young People programme into schools and community groups to children aged 14 - 18 years old. This programme gives them the skills and knowledge which they can use to maintain good mental health and build resilience in order to better deal with problems and challenges. The money Radius Housing raise will help AWARE deliver more of these programmes to more of our young people in Northern Ireland.”