The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Padraic is national mental health leader
AFTER terrific work in spreading awareness of positive mental health and the core messages of the “Cycle against Suicide” initiative, a young Kilgarvan secondary school student has been named as a “Cycle against Suicide Student Leader”.
Young Padraic Randles, and indeed his school, family and locality, were left rightly proud after “Cycle against Suicide” chose the 17-year-old Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine student to join just twelve other ambassadors for a retreat in Kippure Estate in Wicklow last week having been selected from a mammoth field of 200 nominees.
Padraic, who will take on his Leaving Cert in 2018, was nominated by Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine having impressed through his involvement with the school’s ‘mental health team’. Through this team, he has worked within initiatives like the Amber Flag and Saint Patrick’s Mental Health programmes, and he explained to The Kerryman this week that his trojan work for positive mental health arose from a “lightbulb moment” he had during Transition Year.
“I was inspired by The Heath- ers’ song ‘Forget me Knots’, which says that it’s okay not to feel okay, and I thought to myself ‘you know, positive mental health would be a nice thing to get involved with’.
“It was a great honour to be nominated and then selected, and I look forward to representing Cycle against Suicide in their events over the coming year.
“All the ambassadors met up in Dublin last weekend before we went to Wicklow, and after the workshops, activities, and skills sessions we took part in, I feel I am well-prepared to work as an ambassador,” he added.
Padraic, who has two older brothers and one older sister, followed his nomination with an impressive letter to the “Cycle against Suicide” committee, in which he heralded the link between expressing one’s individuality and the maintenance of strong mental health.
Over the coming year, he will be at the forefront of other Cycle against Suicide-organised events like Sail against Suicide and the Student Leaders’ Congress, which welcomes thousands of students each year.
Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine Kenmare teacher Emer O’Riordan said that the selection of Padraic as an ambassador for the well-known mental health initiative was a privilege.
“It’s an honour for our school to have a student selected for such a prestigious worthwhile programme at national level,” she said.
“We are immensely proud of Padraic’s achievement.”