The Cycle against suicide is a national event in Ireland. It first started in 2013. The initiative started to raise awareness of the considerable help and supports that are available for anyone battling depression, self-harm, at-risk-of-suicide or those bereaved by suicide.
The cycle takes two weeks and the cyclist cycle about 100km a day.
The main cycle takes place each year in April/May and creates a very tangible and practical opportunity for people who want to help support those who are affected by suicide.
The Cycle Against Suicide is the brainchild of Jim Breen, who at every finish gives a rousing motivational speech on the problem of depression.
In 2015, the Cycle Against Suicide visited my school, as a part of the route. Everyone wore orange T-shirts with the cycles phrase: it’s ok not to feel ok and it’s absolutely ok to ask for help. In the school building, tables of sandwiches and confectionary were set up.
My school prepared for weeks for the arrival of the cyclists. We painted posters to put on the roadside, made banners to hang around the school, spray-painted a couple of bikes orange. They even sent us on a five kilometer run or walk.
It is an experience I loved being apart of, even though I wasn’t actually cycling.
The 5th Cycle Against Suicide Student Leaders Congress took place in the 3Arena in Dublin on Thursday January 18th, 2018. This is the leading Student Mental Health Conference in Europe and promised to be an amazing event. It promoted positive mental health and provided help-seeking advice for young people in a fun and inclusive manner.
The Congress continues to gain momentum and popularity from just 40 students in its 1st year in 2012 to over 7,000 this January 2018.
