Carrickfergus Hub Improving Lives Locally (CHILL)
ANNUAL REPORT APRIL 2022- MARCH 2023
Address - Caretaker’s House, Antrim Street, Carrickfergus, BT38 7DG
CHARITY NO: NIC 108329
Committee Members
Stephen Weir, Chairperson
Darren Wren, Treasurer
Marie Anne Templeman, Secretary
Brian Smyth
Bobby Hadden
Chris Dorrian
Eleanor Ellerslie – joined 20[th] October 2022
Andrea Ellis – joined 20[th] October 2022
Norman Wotherspoon – Resigned 25[th] May 2022 Carly McNeilly – Resigned 7[th] July 2022
Stephen McNeilly – Resigned 25[th] July 2022 Joanne Campbell – Resigned 9[th] March 2023
CHARITY NO: NIC 108329
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
CHILL aims to improve and promote positive mental health and wellbeing, and to raise awareness of suicide prevention.
Our main objective is to work collaboratively with the local Community & Voluntary Sector organisations to support individuals and their families, including children and young people affected by mental health issues, to raise awareness of suicide prevention and to improve the wellbeing of the community.
ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
This year was again very challenging, given the ever-increasing pressures put on the Health Service and this then impacts hugely on the work we do. Below is a summary of the main activities over the past 12 months.
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We were very fortunate to secure our own premises with thanks to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and National Lottery Awards for All Funding. We officially moved in July 2023
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We held an official open day in October 2022 in the Caretaker’s House to celebrate CHILL moving into their new premises.
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CHILL weekly walk continued to grow this year – we saw numbers increasing from 3-4 per week to approximately 25 per week. A Facebook Group specifically for Weekly Walks and a WhatsApp Group for those not on social media was created.
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We hosted the Action Cancer Big Bus at the Open-Door Church Carpark in February 2023 with all 23 Breast Screening and 16 Health Checks fully booked by people living in the local area.
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We started a monthly Veterans Breakfast locally back in September 2022 and this continues on the first Sunday of each month.
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Young Chillerz group was launched in October 2022 – a group of young people who will support other young people in their schools and communities looking after their mental health and wellbeing
CHARITY NO: NIC 108329
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The group hosted a Community Health & Electrical Safety event in February 2023 with approximately 100 people in attendance. We had a number of key organisations attending signposting to their services within the area
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CHILL provided Free PAT Testing to individuals who were unable to attend our Community Health & Electrical Safety event
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CHILL also hosted a number of the funders from Electrical Safety Fund in March 2023 who were very keen to hear CHILL’s story and how our funding was used to benefit the local community
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We launched a CHILL Menopause café in January 2023 – offering a safe space for women of all ages to come together to share experiences and an opportunity to chat informally about Menopause, we have approximately 10 women attending per month.
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We facilitated weekly sea swim over the warmer months with new members joining.
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CHILL continues to be a centre for student counsellors attending Northern Regional College.
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In 2022-2023 period we had 8 volunteer and student counsellors and this continues to grow. Students completed their qualifying hours with CHILL and proceeded to become fully qualified Counsellors and stay on with CHILL.
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We provided approximately 1559 hours of counselling, all free of charge. Approximately how many sessions between 1[st] April – 31[st] March 2023
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CHILL held a joint Health Fair with Greenisland Football Club, hosting support services available for people to link into locally.
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We worked in partnership with Greenisland Football Club to facilitate counselling sessions and have completed mental health programmes throughout the school terms in 2 local schools
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In February 2023 we hosted the Northern Ireland Mental Health Champion, Siobhan O’Neill to showcase the work of CHILL in the local community and the challenges faced by local grassroots community organisations in supporting people living with or going through mental health crisis.
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CHILL provided counselling sessions for Greenisland Football Club Cuppa Club – a weekly meet up for older people to increase connections and prevent social isolation.
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CHILL continue to meet with and work with other community, voluntary and statutory organisations to ensure that the health and wellbeing of people living in the local community are addressed.
CHARITY NO: NIC 108329
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CHILL actively participate in Carrick & Greenisland Community Cluster Groups – hosted by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.
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CHILL continue to post positive support on our Facebook Page and keep the local community up to date with things happening in the Mid and east Antrim Borough Council Area
Thank you to all of our funders - The National Lottery Community Fund and Halifax Foundation.
Thank you to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council who continue to support the work of CHILL in providing mental, emotional and physical health support in the local community.
Finally thank all those who have continued to support us during the year through their fundraising efforts and donations. We really appreciate your support and involvement this year.
We look forward to continuing to expand on our work again this incoming year.
Stephen Weir Chairperson
May 2023
CHARITY NO: NIC 108329