I get great pleasure from knowing I have changed someone’s day by talking to them
Ashleigh Coyle (20) is a model and former Big Brother contestant based in Londonderry, who helps out with a
mental health charity. She says:
Ijoined Me4Mental just over three months ago after meeting up with the chair, Patricia Flanagan McClean, who formed the charity. I had decided I was going to climb Mount Errigal and wanted to donate the money to a mental health charity and, obviously, due to the stats within my hometown regarding mental health and suicide, I wanted to donate it locally. It all started from there. I joined the committee along with seven others and we try our very best to reach as many people suffering from mental health issues as we possibly can. I’ve always been pretty open about my own mental health struggles, so I can relate to a lot of people that come through our doors.
The other committee members do an absolutely amazing job and I see the hard work put in every day. Volunteering with Me4Mental ranges from organised bag packs and bucket collections to fun days. But a lot of our volunteering is simply giving up our time for coffee mornings, which are our main focus.
We hold coffee mornings each day of the week and welcome anyone suffering from mental health problems, carers or even people who maybe just want to understand it a little more to help a friend or family member. Basically it’s a few hours every morning where we meet up and chat, laugh and let people get things off their chests about how they’re feeling with people who understand what they’re going through.
Organisations like Me4Mental wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the volunteers. When you’re stuck in the middle of things, sometimes you forget to look at the work done and effort that’s put in by so many people and much of that is thanks to volunteers.
I have previously volunteered for other things, but it wasn’t regular, just whenever I was free and if anything was on.
I used to do a lot of fundraising for the Rainbow Rescue and Rehoming Centre For Cats and Dogs, which is a local animal refuge centre close to my home, as I’m a huge animal lover.
I hate to sound cheesy, but the biggest reward in volunteering is knowing that I’ve helped someone.
It’s hard to explain the pleasure I get from knowing that I’ve completely changed someone’s day by simply taking the time out to chat or ensure they know that they’re important.
Personally, I don’t think there are any specific skills needed for volunteering. If you want to give up some of your free time to help someone, that’s enough.
Everyone has the capacity to help in one way or another.”