About
What is Mind your Melon?
Mind your Melon is a mental health and wellbeing festival for the young people of Donegal.
Mind your Melon is a mental health and wellbeing festival for young people in Donegal taking place from 10th October - 16th December The programme includes a series of in-person events and video content on virtual stages at iconic locations around the county. The festival has been created by local mental health charity Connect Mental Health in partnership with Jigsaw Donegal and Foróige, This is an event ‘For young people, by young people’. Young people from Donegal Youth Council and Jigsaw’s Youth Advisory Panel have been key to developing themes, content and the design of the event.
What themes will be explored?
The content and themes covered by Mind your Melon are based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing, evidence based actions developed by The New Economics Foundation. Find out more about the Five Ways to Wellbeing here
Connect
Be Active
Take Notice
Keep Learning
Give
About
What is Mind your Melon?
Aims & Objectives
Through video and interactive content, Mind your Melon aims to:
- Promote positive mental health
- Improve young people’s understanding of mental health and wellbeing, and
associated protective and risk factors - Increase awareness of youth mental health supports and services
and how to access them - Explore stigmatising attitudes to mental health
Where did the idea come from?
The idea to host Mind your Melon was born during a committee meeting of Donegal mental health charity Connect Mental Health.
Connect Mental Health is a community mental health organisation promoting positive mental health in Donegal through an annual programme of events, online workshops and supports delivered directly to young people and adults in the local community. Jigsaw Donegal and Foróige are key members of Connect Mental Health’s organising committee.
Covid-19 restrictions on physical gatherings/events meant Connect Mental Health was unable to deliver their annual in-person youth mental health conference like they had done pre-Covid. Like this event in 2017
The event was inspired by similar online events hosted by other great organisations in Ireland like The Shine Festival, created by our friends at The Shona Project.
The Bigger Picture
Connecting for Life
The aims & objectives of Mind your Melon are aligned with strategic goal 1 of Connecting for Life Donegal:
To improve the county’s understanding of, and attitudes to, suicidal behaviour, mental health and wellbeing
Connecting for Life is Ireland’s national strategy to reduce suicide. Connecting for Life sets out a vision of an Ireland where fewer lives are lost through suicide, and where communities and individuals are empowered to improve their mental health and wellbeing. Connecting for Life Donegal is the Suicide Prevention Action Plan for County Donegal.
