BENEFIT: Empowering Youth Mental Health in Ireland
The BENEFIT project represents an innovative initiative aimed at equipping youth workers and young people with tools and resources to address mental health challenges and improve employability. In Ireland, this project has successfully piloted key training modules and hosted impactful events to test and amplify its resources, emphasising the importance of mental health-informed youth work.
Piloting Training Modules for Youth Workers
In June 2024, Ireland hosted two workshops under the BENEFIT project, engaging 20 youth workers from diverse professional backgrounds. This “Enhancing Youth Workers’ Capacity Training Workshop” delivered a comprehensive programme spanning five core modules: resilience, mindfulness, cooperation, mental hygiene, and healthy digital habits. These sessions aimed to provide youth workers with practical tools to foster emotional well-being, strengthen support networks, and promote healthy lifestyle practices among young people.
Participants appreciated the interactive and reflective nature of the training, with activities such as life satisfaction assessments, mindfulness exercises, and discussions on conflict resolution. These practical elements were complemented by digital resources, such as a demonstration of the BENEFIT website, which offers an accessible eLearning platform for self-directed learning. Feedback highlighted the programme’s relevance and effectiveness, with one participant noting, “The mindfulness and self-care module was a game-changer for me.”
The Multiplier Event: Broadening Impact
On 8 October 2024, a BENEFIT multiplier event in Ballyjamesduff extended the project’s reach to 36 participants, primarily young people aged 17–19. Held at St. Clare’s Secondary School, the event was tailored to foster mental health awareness and advocacy among students and educators. Pauline Clarke from “Mind Nua” led the session, incorporating mindfulness techniques and discussions on resilience and healthy habits.
The event’s key outcomes included:
- Enhanced Mental Health Awareness: Participants developed foundational knowledge of resilience and self-care.
- Practical Well-being Tools: Attendees explored strategies for stress management and positive relationship-building.
- Mindfulness Skills Development: Hands-on activities enabled students to adopt relaxation techniques to manage stress.
This session also encouraged safe and open discussions about mental health, promoting a supportive school environment.
Reflections and Future Directions
The Irish context of the BENEFIT project underscores the value of participatory approaches in mental health education. Through its workshops and events, the initiative demonstrated how tailored training and practical resources can empower youth workers and young people alike. Moving forward, further training for educators and regular mental health workshops could sustain and expand this impact. Ensuring widespread access to the project’s Toolkit on Mental Well-being for Youth and its eLearning platform will also be critical in enabling continuous learning and support.
As the BENEFIT project concludes in November 2024, we are proud to have been part of this journey with the BENEFIT consortium. Collaborating with such dedicated partners and participants has been an enriching experience, and we are confident the tools, resources, and insights developed will leave a lasting legacy. We look forward to seeing the continued positive impact of BENEFIT’s work in Ireland and across Europe, fostering a healthier and more inclusive future for young people.
The European Commission’s support for the production of this website does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Με τη χρηματοδότηση της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Οι απόψεις και οι γνώμες που διατυπώνονται εκφράζουν αποκλειστικά τις απόψεις των συντακτών και δεν αντιπροσωπεύουν κατ'ανάγκη τις απόψεις της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης ή του Ευρωπαϊκού Εκτελεστικού Οργανισμού Εκπαίδευσης και Πολιτισμού (EACEA). Η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση και ο EACEA δεν μπορούν να θεωρηθούν υπεύθυνοι για τις εκφραζόμενες απόψεις. Финансирано от Европейския съюз. Изразените възгледи и мнения обаче принадлежат изцяло на техния(ите) автор(и) и не отразяват непременно възгледите и мненията на Европейския съюз или на Европейската изпълнителна агенция за образование и култура (EACEA). За тях не носи отговорност нито Европейският съюз, нито EACEA. Financováno Evropskou unií. Názory vyjádřené jsou názory autora a neodráží nutně oficiální stanovisko Evropské unie či Evroské výkonné agentury pro vzdělávání a kulturu (EACEA). Evropská unie ani EACEA za vyjádřené názory nenese odpovědnost. Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie. De hier geuite ideeën en meningen komen echter uitsluitend voor rekening van de auteur(s) en geven niet noodzakelijkerwijs die van de Europese Unie of het Europese Uitvoerende Agentschap onderwijs en cultuur (EACEA) weer. Noch de Europese Unie, noch het EACEA kan ervoor aansprakelijk worden gesteld. Financirano sredstvima Europske unije. Izneseni stavovi i mišljenja su stavovi i mišljenja autora i ne moraju se podudarati sa stavovima i mišljenjima Europske unije ili Europske izvršne agencije za obrazovanje i kulturu (EACEA). Ni Europska unija ni EACEA ne mogu se smatrati odgovornima za njih. Financé par l’Union européenne. Les points de vue et avis exprimés n’engagent toutefois que leur(s) auteur(s) et ne reflètent pas nécessairement ceux de l’Union européenne ou de l’Agence exécutive européenne pour l’éducation et la culture (EACEA). Ni l’Union européenne ni l’EACEA ne sauraient en être tenues pour responsables. Von der Europäischen Union finanziert. Die geäußerten Ansichten und Meinungen entsprechen jedoch ausschließlich denen des Autors bzw. der Autoren und spiegeln nicht zwingend die der Europäischen Union oder der Europäischen Exekutivagentur für Bildung und Kultur (EACEA) wider. Weder die Europäische Union noch die EACEA können dafür verantwortlich gemacht werden. Financiado pela União Europeia. Os pontos de vista e as opiniões expressas são as do(s) autor(es) e não refletem necessariamente a posição da União Europeia ou da Agência de Execução Europeia da Educação e da Cultura (EACEA). Nem a União Europeia nem a EACEA podem ser tidos como responsáveis por essas opiniões. Financiado por la Unión Europea. Las opiniones y puntos de vista expresados solo comprometen a su(s) autor(es) y no reflejan necesariamente los de la Unión Europea o los de la Agencia Ejecutiva Europea de Educación y Cultura (EACEA). Ni la Unión Europea ni la EACEA pueden ser considerados responsables de ellos. Finanziato dall'Unione europea. Le opinioni espresse appartengono, tuttavia, al solo o ai soli autori e non riflettono necessariamente le opinioni dell'Unione europea o dell’Agenzia esecutiva europea per l’istruzione e la cultura (EACEA). Né l'Unione europea né l'EACEA possono esserne ritenute responsabili. Financirano s strani Evropske unije. Izražena stališča in mnenja so zgolj stališča in mnenja avtorja(-ev) in ni nujno, da odražajo stališča in mnenja Evropske unije ali Evropske izvajalske agencije za izobraževanje in kulturo (EACEA). Zanje ne moreta biti odgovorna niti Evropska unija niti EACEA.
Project Number: 2022-1-DE04-KA220-YOU-000085433
