Offaly Goes Green in support of National Green Ribbon campaign

ACT (Accessible Counselling Tullamore) has launched the Offaly Goes Green initiative in support of the National Green Ribbon Campaign which runs every September in a bid to end mental health stigma.

The initiative officially kicked off with a launch at Millennium House, Tullamore, on Monday, September 2, attended by local community groups, representatives from Offaly County Council and the wider community.

Offaly Goes Green builds on the legacy of the very successful Tullamore Goes Green initiative, which was established in 2018 by the late James O’Connor, founder of ACT and a passionate advocate for mental health.

This year, ACT is once again leading the charge to continue James’s mission of raising awareness and promoting open conversations about mental health throughout the county.

Throughout September, clubs, businesses, schools, and community groups across Offaly are encouraged to participate in the campaign by decorating their spaces with green ribbons, hosting green-themed events, and sharing their support online.

Here are some ways to get involved:

*Wear a free Green Ribbon for the month of September. Ribbons will be available in local businesses throughout the county or are available from ACT directly.

*Green Decorations: Show your support by decorating your club, business, or school with green ribbons, lights, and other green-themed displays. Let’s paint the town green to raise awareness for mental health.

*Organise a Green Event: Host a Green Day at your workplace, school or group. Encourage participants to wear green and engage in activities or discussions that promote mental health awareness.

*Social Media Engagement: Spread the word online! Share photos of your green decorations or events using the hashtag #OffalyGoesGreen. Tell your story, share messages of hope, and help break the stigma surrounding mental health.

To encourage widespread participation, the #OffalyGoesGreen committee will award prizes for the best involvement and engagement throughout September.

Prizes will be given in the following categories: Best Green Display/Most Inspiring Event; Most Engaged Social Media Campaign;

Winners will receive a special perpetual Green Ribbon Trophy in recognition of their efforts, as well as a hamper.

The Offaly Goes Green initiative will conclude with a special event in memory of its founder, James O’Connor. The 2nd annual James O’Connor Memorial Walk will take place on Friday, October 4, at Tullamore Harriers from 5pm to 10pm.

This walk is a tribute to James’s dedication to mental health advocacy and his enduring impact on the community.

It will be a family friendly event with live music, food vendors, face painting, pets welcome.

There is no fee to walk but there will be donation buckets on the gate and all funds raised will go directly to ACT to enable them to continue providing professional, accessible, affordable and timely counselling to people over 16 years from all across the Midlands.

James along with his wife Lisa, set up ACT in January 2020 and since then the centre has seen almost 2,250 clients and has provided over 9,500 counselling sessions.

Clients range in age from 16 to 88 and come to ACT from all walks of life and attend for a variety of issues - anxiety, grief, overwhelm etc. Clients come from across the Midlands area - Offaly, Laois, Westmeath, Tipperary and Longford.