PROJECT SP

Suicide Prevention

Upcoming Lichfield Garrick Theatre Show Sat 5th Oct 2024.


Sheila’s M.H.S. Mental Health Show
‘Suicide Prevention’ 

time: 7:45pm

price: £18

Continuing her work on Suicide Prevention, Registered Mental Health Counsellor and Author Sheila McMahon is back with a NEW show.

Sheila will be educating us about the stigma, shame and silence that surrounds talking about suicide. She encourages us to initially be comfortable with being uncomfortable, so that the fear of this subject can be faced, and hence potentially save lives.


She will be uncovering misunderstandings, for example, that most people who are suicidal don’t want to die, they don’t know how to live. She encourages people to come together and join her at her show to create positive cultural change.


Get ready for another thought provoking, educational, and transformational show. As always Sheila will be mixing the education up with songs and stories to bring some light-heartedness to such a serious topic.


Book tickets early as it’s expected to be a sell-out show.

June 23

Where and when it started

Sheila McMahon, a registered mental health counsellor, originally from Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co. Clare and based in the UK, was saddened to hear that her neighbour back in Ireland (Newmarket-on-Fergus) died by suicide, and another person from the village had died by suicide in the same week too. She was then shocked to hear that on the same day her childhood neighbour Fiona’s body was recovered from the cliffs of Moher, 2 other bodies were recovered who had also died by suicide.

Sheila, with all her knowledge and experience around suicide prevention, could not just sit back and do nothing.


She decided she wanted to deliver a suicide prevention talk in Co. Clare. When she told people about this, some said “I’ll come with you”. This led to the support of 3 others Pat Critchlow, Julie Gray, and Gill Turner, all volunteering their time to help.

July 23

Building momentum

Sheila wanted to do the talk as fundraiser for Co. Clare charities who deals with suicide prevention. She and her team researched this, which lead to The Haven Hub and The West Clare Menta Health association getting involved.


A venue and date were set of Tuesday 22nd August 2023 at Traecys West County Hotel, in Ennis, Co.Clare.


Collaboration

Sheila and her team reached out to the media which ended up with The Clare Champion Newsletter printing an article about the talk, along with the Clare Echo.

It led to Sheila being interviewed on Clare FM and West Clare Radio.


Surprises along the way

One of the issues Sheila found in chatting to people about the upcoming talk on suicide prevention, was the stigma that suicide is still seen as a sin, how that can create a lot of guilt and confusion around mental illness, and how it needs to change, because as Sheila believes in most cases, it’s the illness that takes the person’s life.


This led to having the support of Bishop Fintan Monahan, who is the Bishop of the Killaloe Diocese, which incorporates Ennis, who is pictured above with the Pope, for her talk and work to tackle suicide.


Bishop Fintan, gave Sheila permission to state on his behalf that: “It’s [suicide] been a huge issue for a number of years.”


Also saying: “I’m very supportive of your efforts and good work. It’s an important issue and I’m very happy to share your material online.”

August 23

Sheila’s first Suicide prevention talk in Ennis, Co. Clare

Sheila and her team were very proud of everyone who attended, what was achieved and for everyone who helped towards making it happen. Here is one of the many testimonials from the event. Together we really do create positive change.

 

“It was delivered in such a natural, practical & sensitive manner - informative, empathetic, & with clear & deep understanding. We, as an audience felt the topic was broached in a very thoughtful, professional & delicate way. I loved the variety & balance achieved through music, poetry, song & comedy & the inclusiveness of the audience as a result was very effectively done. Everyone felt togetherness & made us realise “no size fits all “& that we are all so vulnerable to mental illness for many reasons & any family could have to deal with the trauma of suicide. Everyone I spoke to & I totally agreed with their appraisal of the night. It was collectively said that no one came away weighed down by statistics, formalities, or overwhelming emphasis on the terrible tragedy that sadly has become too common. Everyone felt that it was a very professionally run night & people get they gained a sense of calmness, & depth into the possible mindset that could trap a suicidal person. To hear all aspects of suicide & it’s domino effects verbalised was in itself worthwhile"

 

We have learnt that following that talk, people have reached out to the organisations for support.

November 23

Following the talk, and meetings, led to Sheila and her team to be called ‘Project S.P.

January 24

By this point Sheila had set up a podcast called ‘Counsellor Convos’. She wanted to talk about suicide prevention and Bishop Fintan Monahan agreed to be part of a conversation about the stigma of suicide and the church.

 

During that conversation Sheila asked the Bishop if he would be willing to attend her next Suicide prevention event, and he agreed. The date was then set of Tuesday 16th April.

 

This time Sheila and her mum Maire McMahon (who is now part of the Project SP team) reached out the venue The Inn at Dromoland for support. This been the venue where the second death to suicide the previous year had been an employee of the venue. Without hesitation the Venue agreed to Sheila having the main conference wedding room with capacity to hold 200.

 

She turned to her Business first Networking group for support and was blown away by their support. This led to the poster and logo for the suicide prevention talk


At this point Sheila and her team got in contact with different organisations. Sheila wanted this event to have collaborations and other speakers on the night. This led to other speakers Dr. Mary Honan, Election candidate Pat Honan, Stephen Walsh, Chairman of the Irish Farmers' Association – and support from West Clare Mental Health Association and Haven Hub Irish Farmers Association on the night.

August 24

Suicide Prevention Conference, Newmarket-on-fergus, Co. Clare

Sheila was delighted to see so many speakers and people attend the night. Here are some comments from this event

 

“This is the best event I have ever attended.”

 

“Great to see you in action, Sheila. You're a powerful advocate for positive action.”

 

In the local newspaper The Clare Champion, Bishop Fintan said “Clare Communities unite to prevent Suicide”,: “Thank you for the invitation to join you this evening for this special event, entitled a Suicide Prevention Project – Communities Coming Together. Well done to Sheila and collaborators in organising this important event.”

Bishop Fintan personally messaged Sheila to say “Well done Sheila. Fantastic job last evening. God bless your good work”

 

Sheila said it was a combination of everyone, including guest speakers - which also featured Councillor candidate Pat Barry, Dr Mary Honan, and, that made it a “very powerful event”.

 

If you missed the event itself, you could still watch the podcasts Sheila recorded in the run up to the event as part of her Counsellor Convos series on her YouTube Channel which included sheep farmer Geroge Graham, pictured in the background of the group photographed above, James Fennelly from the West Clare Mental Health Association and Frances McGeehan who was part of Team Project SP on the night.

You can find all Sheila’s podcasts @ https://www.youtube.com/c/SheilasYouTubeChannel


The next step

Following on from this event, it was brough to Sheila’s attention the statistic that.

‘One in four workers in the construction industry are more likely to die by suicide than any other sector’.

This shocked Sheila and she wanted to do something about it. At present she focuses her podcasts on the construction industry with collaborations with CECA, The Highway Traffic Management, Alpha Construction, Karl Grace Architectural technologist and the lighthouse construction charity industry. All these podcasts can be found on Sheila’s You Tube Channel, with many more to come.

 

You too can be part of Sheila’s team Project S.P. as there are many ways you can help. You can sponsor her work, watch, like and share her podcasts and posts on social media. What Sheila would like most of all is to come along to her next mental health theatre show on Suicide prevention on Sat 5th Oct, and manage suicide prevention together.

 

As Sheila says “Together we really do make a difference”

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