Thank you for taking the time to visit my fundraising page on iDonate.ie I'm taking part in . I've chosen to fundraise for Pieta and Solas Drop In Centre . All funds raised here will go directly to this great cause. I hope you can help me by donating whatever you can. Simply click the Donate button above. All donations are processed securely. You can also share my page using Share options below. This is a great way to show your support. Many Thanks for your support.

My name is Mickey McKenna and I am currently enjoying my retirement following a long career as a psychiatric nurse in St. Davnet’s Hospital, Monaghan. In the 1980s I was considerably involved in the development of the Community mental health services which proved to be very successful, not only in empowering clients, and destigmatising Mental Illness but also in reducing admissions to psychiatric hospitals through a community based treatment option. Since my retirement I have been involved in Fundraising activities, including walking the 500 mile Camino de Santiago in Spain in 2017, as I recognise social, economic and educational needs and confidence building for those struggling with mental health difficulties in the area. I have just turned 65, and this is my last major walk / climb as I will need a zimmer frame in the future!! I will be accompanied by my son Ciaran on this journey who will keep you all updated on our fortnight climb! 

Mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary once noted, “It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”

Conquering our personal mountains is something we all battle with in our daily lives, and I want people with mental health and emotional wellbeing problems to see that it is possible to overcome their struggles. This fundraiser involves climbing the highest freestanding mountain in the world, Kilimanjaro in Africa in late September 2022, to provide much needed funding for 2 local charities, Solas Drop In Centre in Monaghan Town and Pieta House in Castleblayney and Cavan Town, to implement resilience and recovery programmes to support people with mental health difficulties, particularly in a post Covid environment. 

Solas Drop-In Centre are based in Monaghan and actively support and assist all people who struggle with mental health and emotional wellbeing in developing their own positive mental health and recovery through counselling, peer support, information, signposting education, employment and promoting destigmatisation. Pieta House has a branch in Castleblayney and provide a professional one-to-one therapeutic service to people who are in suicidal distress, those who engage in self-harm, and those bereaved by suicide. Their vision is a world where suicide, self-harm and stigma have been replaced by hope, self-care and acceptance through supporting people and communities in crisis by providing freely accessible, professional services to all.

I aim to raise funds for these 2 mental health charities to deliver mental health programmes. These programmes include building psychological resilience and recovery and are tailored to suit those who are in various stages of recovery from early intervention in crisis prevention to post crisis support and recovery self-management involve counselling, talking therapies and inhouse stress management courses.

The outcomes of these evidence based interventions include empowering those who were struggling to find a meaningful life, to further their education and careers. They also help to prevent people from having crisis, generate coping mechanisms, self-care tools and support enabling them to maintain their livelihoods. This greatly mitigates the risk of suicide and enhances suicide prevention in an area that has the highest suicide rate in the country.

Your donation to this cause can help achieve these aims and I would be considerably grateful if you could support us in this fundraiser for two worthy charities.