About
What is Mind your Melon?
Mind your Melon is a mental health and wellbeing festival for the young people of Donegal.

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

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About
What is Mind your Melon?
Aims & Objectives
- 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.
