Peter Corry headlining concert to highlight World Suicide Day

Peter Corry headlining concert to highlight World Suicide Day

16 August 2017

AN ecumenical concert is being held in Downpatrick next month to mark World Suicide Day and promote 

positive health.

St Patrick’s Church is the venue for the September 10 event which will feature Peter Corry and a number of other performers including Matthew Campbell, Mark McMullan, Brian McElroy, Cora Kelly, Elisha Tumelty, the McClean family and St Patrick’s Choral Society.

Choirs from Downpatrick churches and schools will also be performing at the concert which starts at 8pm and is being organised by the All Lives Are Precious (ALPS) organisation which works to improve access to services and positive outcomes for those with a mental illness.

The group was established following extensive research and planning in the field of mental health and suicide prevention and one of the founders was Downpatrick man, Ronan Gilchrist, who has a long held an interest in this particular area.

Ronan believes that a community-based initiative funded and run by the people, for the people, is the best way of offering support around mental health education and suicide prevention. 

Along with others, he has spent some considerable time establishing current provision, identifying the gaps and embarked upon a journey to develop an organisation that can meet the needs of the whole community.

He explained those behind ALPS come from a Cristian background and have consciously developed their organisation with a dedicated Christian ethos and identified the need for tailor-made specific programs for the whole community. 

“The overall objective of this whole project is to reduce suicide within the community, but we can only do this by making the community aware of the implications, stresses and triggers daily life can have on a person’s mental health,” Ronan explained. “Until now, no one has identified a specific whole school-based approach on how to engage everyone together in this conversation. 

“For two years under the guidance of the clergy, doctors, health care practitioners, teachers and others, we have carefully explored a schools’ role within society and how they can assist everyone in terms of mental health awareness and suicide prevention.”

Ronan said in association with Talk To Tom, The National Suicide Research Foundation, Living Works Canada and The QPR institute, ALPS has created a community-focused programme of activity to tackle the issues around suicide and mental health in a structured program in an attempt to make the community a safer place for everyone, offering support, guidance and training initially for teachers, staff, parents, community, clergy and other in the areas of mindfulness, mental health awareness and suicide prevention.  

“The forthcoming concert is a celebration of love, life and happiness event for the whole community,” said Ronan. “The event is to celebrate our own life and to remember the lives of all our loved ones who are no longer with us whilst, at the same time, allowing the community to mark World Suicide Prevention Day. 

“We have over 100 performers and are grateful to have Peter Corry join us for this cross-community event which has the support of all the Downpatrick churches, schools and community groups.” 

The September concert will be compered by Gerard Magee and Cyril McKinney and will also be raising money for Good Morning Down, the Fountain Foodbank, Action Cancer and the Downpatrick Romanian Orphanage Appeal. 

Tickets, priced £10, are available from Flixx Graphics, St Patrick’s Parish office, Down Cathedral, Downpatrick Presbyterian Church and by contacting Ronan directly on 07801 481013.