Social homes provider Radius Housing has pledged its support to drive greater mental health awareness across Northern Ireland.

The company has been supporting Aware NI for the past three years, raising £50,000 to support their work delivering mental health and wellbeing programmes across the region.

Staff and tenants worked to raise money through fundraising events as part of their Corporate Charity fundraising partnership with Aware. Activities ranged from wearing crazy socks, racing dragon boats and splashing in the sea, to clocking up miles in the Belfast Marathon, and no task was too big or small to generate vital funds during this challenging period for those living with mental health and wellbeing challenges. Supporting larger Aware NI events such as Sea Splash, Walk 5 Give 5, and the Aware 25 Challenge, more than twenty Radius schemes also got involved in organising games of bingo and the Big Radius Coffee Morning, to raise a grand total of £50,780.97.

The synergy between the two organisations also saw Aware deliver wellbeing programmes for Radius staff, that helped them understand more about depression and anxiety, as well as learning techniques to cope with stress and managing wider mental wellbeing.

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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, many of whom have personal experience of depression having been to support groups themselves for help.

Radius Housing manages more than 13,000 homes, provides housing, care and support to over 33,000 people in Northern Ireland and deliver a range of supported living and care schemes to a wide 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.

Presenting the cheque, Radius Housing Chief Executive John McLean said: "We are extremely proud to have supported Aware NI over the past three years. We have witnessed first-hand the incredible work the charity does to support people in difficult circumstances, as well as providing wider training to build understanding.

"It has been a collaborative effort by our staff and tenants to raise necessary funds and spark conversations around mental health, and much of this was undertaken during the very difficult circumstances brought on by the pandemic. The restrictions may have impacted on some of the events we hoped to hold, but it did not impact on the commitment of the Radius team to raise funds for Aware NI.

"It also shows that at Radius, we not only care about providing physical homes for our tenants, but also provide wider support, including that for mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. We have been delighted that through this partnership we have been able to support Aware in their important work."

Karen Collins, Chief Executive at AWARE added: "We are so grateful for Radius Housing's tremendous efforts, commitment and support throughout our partnership, particularly as we have all been plunged into unprecedented circumstances during this period.

"As a result, our services are now needed more than ever, and they have raised an outstanding amount of money for those affected by mental illness in Northern Ireland. This money will go a long way in helping us to continue to adapt and deliver our vital services to communities, schools and workplaces."